Malkavian Madness Network
Other Systems => Digimon: Digital Adventures => Topic started by: MrParaduo on July 14, 2023, 09:27:25 PM
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All was quiet at the Seaside Tofu Shack. After buying food, the group had settled on a nearby table with an umbrella for cover.
"Is it time yet?" asked Malie, long having finished her snack.
"It has been for the past five minutes," said Keilani as she checked her digivice.
("Wouldn't be surprised if this was a power move,") thought Renee. ("What do you think?")
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Al would gently nudge Malie when she asked “That’s like a new record of how many times you’ve asked that question in like three minutes.” Al said as he then glanced out at the parking lot.
(“Whatever it is.. I’m sure we’re being watched by someone regardless.”)
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Malie tried for a smirk, but the dullness in her eyes remained untouched. That all changed as her attention was drawn to something on the road. Turning, Al saw a white limousine as it passed the group, slowing down to a halt a few yards away. Malie glanced at Al and the others, then back to the vehicle as a door opened.
"That must be her," said Keilani, standing up. "Gotta say, though, that's a pretty small limousine next to the ones I've seen in Honolulu."
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Al would softly take hold of her hand and give it a squeeze, trying to be as reassuring as possible
“It’s gonna be okay, Lord Bucketmon.” He said softly as the limo pulled up. To say that he found it to be ostentatious wouldn’t do it Justice- a white limousine? That was some gall to ride around Hilo in such a conspicuous wagon… he was almost impressed actually.
“Maybe not for Honolulu.. but c’mon- how many stretch limos do you see just prowling Hilo sis?”
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The astronomer shrugged. "Once in a blue moon," she said. Slinging Gammamon's bag over her shoulder, Keilani started walking towards the limo. She was outmaneuvered, however, when Malie shot up from her seat and near ran over her.
"Malie!" said Gammamon. "Wait for us!"
Al and Renee would be forced into run to catch up with the others. Malie had already ducked inside the limo by the time they caught up. It might have been the glare of the noonday sun, but the interior was almost pitch black.
"Come on, already!" said Malie as she reached out to grab the duffle bag out of Keilani's hands.
"My oh my~" came a woman's voice. "Had I known you'd be bringing luggage, I would have had my valet help out."
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“Whu- Malie?!”
Al was stunned for a second.. what had gotten into Malie all of a sudden? She’d always been bold.. brash sometimes even, but this was especially reckless in his opinion. But when they reached the limo and peered into the darkness.. the sudden voice made Alemana catch onto Malie’s upper arm even as she was half slung into the limousine at that point.
“Wait.”
There was an edge to his voice when he said that.. a tone he had almost never used with Malie before. He would then say to the darkened cab:
“I don’t mean to be rude.. but could you lean out so we can see you, Ma’am..?”
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[Hmm... roll Persuade]
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[ 6,1,4 + 7 = 18]
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Everyone's attention turned when they heard the back window lower. The first thing to catch Alemana's eye was long, white hair, and as the window pane whirred further down, he felt a jolt as he recognized the face that leaned out to greet him. It was the woman from the other day, the one he had seen from his car after fueling Viximon's tofu craze.
"Something the matter?" she asked, smiling with painted lips as she peered over her sunglasses.
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Al’s eyes widened as he slowly recognized her. There was no way.. the odds that this eerily attractive, bizarrely dressed tourist woman was actually a digimon were astronomical. And yet.. Renamon was standing in broad daylight too.. hidden in plain sight! His grip on Malie didn’t relax as he then tentatively said:
“I’ve seen you before.. just two days ago.”
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"I thought I recognized you," mused the stranger. "My name... is Arukenimon, though you can call me Theridia in public. Can't have the government snooping around, now can we?"
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Al would look at Malie, and then his sister and Renee before hesitantly letting go of his friend.. sliding into the vehicle with her.
“Theridia huh? Not exactly a common name, if you are trying to keep a low profile,” Al said as he then would add in a more polite tone- “Although I’m actually kinda glad that you are a digimon.. less likely for the locals to try to wine and dine you successfully,” he joked.
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Slipping inside the limo, Al found the interior was dimly lit, with all the windows curtained. Leather seats stretched the length of the walls, and at the far back of it, Theridia sat as though lounging.
"Low profile?" she echoed. "Young man, there comes a time in my line of work where keeping a low profile is simple formality. But if you and your compatriots start calling me by my true name, well, that will draw eyes off me and onto your back."
As Renee closed the door to the limo, the group felt the floor rumble as the vehicle began to move.
"Now then," said Theridia as she closed up her window. "What business would you like to discuss? I'm told you're interested in finding your friend Kukuimon?"
Malie leaned forward. "Yes!" she said. "Do you know where he is?"
"Perhaps. And if not, I certainly have ways of finding out."
Keilani's eyes narrowed. "But not for free," she said.
"Mhmhm, I'm an information broker, Ms. Sonson. Once someone knows something, I can't exactly charge them for it. Not without sullying my reputation, anyway."
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Al quirked a brow at that, and he would sigh a bit.
“So what sort of information are you hoping to get from us, I wonder.” He said as he then leaned forward as well. “Something must’ve happened if you’re that quick to respond to us after we met Spinny. Sorry.. KoDokugumon. I’m not complaining.. but it’s pretty interesting that you’re this eager to meet, considering how busy you must be.”
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Smiling, Theridia began typing with one hand on a nearby laptop computer. "You already know about the distortions cropping up across Hilo," she said. "Normally, they don't disappear on their own, or without aid from certain factions on the government payroll." She then turned the computer to face the group, revealing a series of images of Al and the others climbing a window at Vivi's school. "Don't look so surprised. Even with as rare a find as your Eyesmon for a hacker, my network of informants extends outside of cyberspace."
("More likely she had KoDokugumon watching the police and just happened to spot us breaking in,") thought Renee.
Theridia continued. "The point of the matter is that I'm quite curious about how you've managed to seal the distortions so effectively. Does it have something to do with how you returned from the Digital World? I simply must know."
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No, he wasn’t surprised. Truthfully, he wasn’t even impressed. After finding Spinny.. he suspected that they had been watching his friends and him for awhile. Al would look at those images, and he would gently give Renee’s hand a squeeze. “Your kids are pretty diligent aren’t they?” He asked as he then looked at Kei apologetically before he continued speaking. “If you want information..you’re gonna have to give us something first. You said that you might know where Kukuimon could be… I’d like to know where you’ve seen him.”
He then smiled “But who’s to say that we’re even doing anything particularly special? Maybe CODE has just some really crappy and outdated Antivirus software, probably why these problems are popping up.”
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[Roll Persuade or Manipulate]
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[Rolling: 5,3,5 +7= 20]
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Theridia's smile remained unchanged as she chuckled, her eyes glancing between Keilani and Alemana. "It's understandable that you would think that," she said. "One of their agents did recently end up in the ER, mugged in broad daylight! Can you imagine?"
Al suddenly felt a tightness in his chest through his link with Renee; the shapeshifter giving away nothing in her body language.
"Hmm... a freebie, was it?" asked Theridia. "Tell me, has your Eyesmon noticed anything unusual about the data streaming through Hilo?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Keilani.
"A lot can be gleaned from what kind of information is trending within a geographic area. Corporations and political groups utilize it all the time in their marketing campaigns. Recently, however, odd spikes concerning random subject matters have been on the rise. Normally, I'd assume that's related to the distortions, however..." A new image appeared on the broker's laptop. A number of lists of site data showed sections that were missing, as if fragmented or damaged. "Certain sites, research papers, and analytics have gone missing," said Theridia. "Too precise to be random, and all related to elements you may be familiar with. Music, medicine, agriculture."
"The Network!" said Malie. "Kukui's in the Network!"
"But how?" asked Renee. "We searched for signs of distortion activity, we didn't find any."
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Al could feel that pressure in his chest, and he would silently comfort his partner (“Don’t let it get to you..”)
“I can only assume he ran into something that didn’t want him looking into its business. We’ve been attacked a few times ourselves the past few days.” He said, before his eyes flicked down at Malie’s shadow where Eyesmon lay hidden, then back to Theridia.
“And how do you know that if we haven’t been able to figure that out?” He asked, one hand on Malie’s knee.
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"Information is my business, Mr. Sonson. I've been at this line of work for just over a quarter century, and have a number of aces up my sleeve." She then stretched out a naked arm, her eyes on her polished manicure. "Figuratively speaking, mind you." The information broker's attention was pulled away, however, when Gammamon began shuffling about in his bag.
"Keilani," he said. "My legs are cramped! I wanna walk around!"
"Not right now Gammy. You can move when the limo stops."
"It's quite alright," said Theridia. "My chauffeur is extra careful when we have guests."
Gammamon cheered, breaking free of the duffle bag as he took to the air. "Look, guys! They've got a minifridge!"
"Gammy, please!"
"Help yourselves," chuckled Theridia. "Though most of it is small fare."
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“If that’s the case. Where is this supposed distortion that has Kukuimon in it supposed to be?” He asked, ignoring Gammamon. All his focus was directed at Arukenimon for the moment.
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Theridia's eyes narrowed, made lurid by the softness by which she smiled. "I'd be more than happy to tell you," she said. "But, sadly, I've already given you enough clues. The rest you'll have to bargain for."
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“And what would you want? I can promise you that you aren’t going to get anywhere asking about the distortions and how we closed them until we know that this information is accurate.” Al said as he then gently squeezed Renee’s hand. “You’re not the only one who understands the value of certain information. So what else would you want?”
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For the first time, Al noticed the smile on Theridia's face slacken. "I'm a wealthy mother of hundreds, young man. I have connections all across this beautiful blue marble you call a world, as well as the Kumulipo Server. Money means nothing. I dine with the rich and powerful. Grunt work? I've more than enough people under my employ. Yet here I am, sharing my personal limo with you, face-to-face. Why?" The white-haired woman took off her glasses, revealing glowing, yellow eyes. "Because information is life. It is, in a sense, what Digimon are built from. Even mortal beings are comprised of it, through DNA, energy, and solid matter."
"Get to the point," said Malie.
"I want anything pertaining to the Guardian 'Akua, the access nodes, and the Nightmarchers. Give me that, and I'll tell you anything you want to know."
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His eyes narrowed. “And what do you plan to do with that information?” He felt the familiar warmth in his chest, and the dull throbbing in his palms as his connection to Kumon roused slightly- as if the Akua’s attention was drawn ever so slightly by being mentioned.
“If you want to collaborate that’s fine, but I’m going to need some sort of assurance that you aren’t going to be my problem.. because you don’t want to have us as your problem.”
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Theridia stared back at the teen, holding his gaze.
"...Very well," she said, shrugging. "If it's a contract you want, then it's a contract you will get." Brushing her hair to one side, the broker pulled out a single strand. Yet instead of falling limp, the single thread stood straight as a needle. "This is a spirit thread. Amongst its many uses, it can form binding oaths between people, holding them to their word. Once sealed, the terms of the agreement cannot be changed, requiring both parties to agree to its termination before a new contract can be made."
"You want us to sign a contract on the spot?" said Keilani. "How do we know that what you're saying is even the truth?"
"You don't," said Theridia. "But this is the only way I can see us getting past your scruples. Either you accept my offer, or our business is concluded."
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Al would look at the silvery hair, abs he would glance at his sister with a small smile “Hey don’t worry, it’ll be fine.” He reassured her, before he returned his attention back to Theridia.
“So do we just come up with terms of what this contract is supposed to cover?”
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"Indeed," said the broker. "Though there is one last thing to consider."
"I knew it," said Kei.
"The contract must be sealed between me and a representative of your group. That person, in turn, will be bound by the contract, and thus suffer the consequences if you break your end of the bargain." As Keilani motioned to speak, Theridia raised her hand. "The price of breaking the deal is determined by both parties before signing, though having lenient punishment defies the point of making such a contract. Extreme agony is the most common choice, though death and neurological disorders are also possible. For my part, I promise to keep our dealings strictly confidential, including information about you, your families, your digimon partners, and any information you provide me with. Neither I nor my subordinates will knowingly interfere with whatever operations you have in mind going forward, nor knowingly utilize proxies to bypass our arrangement."
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He mulled that over, and thought to Renamon (“I have no idea what to add.”)
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("I'm not sure of any loopholes, either,") thought Renee.
"I'll do it," said Keilani.
"No," said Malie. "We're here because of Kukui. I should be the one to sign the deal."
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“Wait.. are you guys sure?! I don’t want you guys to put yourselves in danger..”
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Keilani shook her head. "I'm not letting you guys get hurt because you wanted to make a deal with a some sketchy digimon in a limo. No offense," she added.
"None taken," said Theridia.
"But Kukuimon's MY responsibility!" said Malie.
"I know that, Mal." said Kei. "That's why you need to be the one to find him. You can't do that if you're distracted by stuff like this hanging over your head."
Malie clenched her fists, her gaze falling to the floor.
Nodding, Keilani turned her attention to Theridia. "We'll go with the agony clause," she said. "I'm guessing it's not permanent, right?"
"Roughly half an hour," said the broker. "Though I've seen grown men break under the strain."
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Al also felt a pit form in his stomach, and he would gently nudge Malie as he looked at his sister. “I can’t stop you.. but I don’t think this is a good idea.” He said, his tone reserved and slightly defeated.
(“I don’t like this Rena.. not one goddamn it..”)
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("Neither do I,") thought the vulpine. ("I just hope Keilani knows what she's doing.")
"Keilani?" said Gammamon. Everyone's attention fell on the ceratops. Surrounded by the remains of several pretzel bags and water bottles, he frowned as he stared up at his partner.
The astronomer smiled. "Everything's fine, Gammy." she said. "I've got this." Seeing Theridia beckon her over, Keilani climbed across the side of the room till she sat beside the broker.
"Hold out your hand," said Theridia, to which she then clasped the tamer's with her own. Spirit thread angled above them, the white-haired woman would then repeat the terms of the contract, lowering the needle-like thread till it pierced the back of her hand. Keilani winced, the thread reappearing out the back of her's, only to bend and wrap around the hands and glow a pallid olivine. "By your words and mine," said the broker. "We are bound. Woe to whomsoever breaks the spirit and letter of our pact, till death or by mutually agreed release from service." A warbling sound echoed outward, the spirit thread fading from view. Keilani's grip was vice-like as Theridia let go, much to the astronomer's surprise.
"How do you feel?" asked Gammamon. "Did... did it hurt?"
"Just a pinch," she said, leaning forward to hold the ceratop's claws. "I've had booster shots that hurt more than that."
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Watching this transpire, Al felt his chest tighten again as he closed his fists tightly enough to cause his knuckles to start aching. When the contract was seemingly completed, he sighed.
“So that’s that, huh?” He asked, gently patting Eyesmon with the toe of his shoe. “Could you share your findings with Eyesmon regarding the places where this data was stolen?”
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"Of course," said the broker, reclining back in her seat. "I had data compiled while we were discussing the NDA."
Gammamon gave a start as a section of the nearby seating popped open. Renee shot her arm in front of Al, her eyes narrowing as something scuttled out of the dark.
"Aloha awakea!" said KoDokugumon.
Renee's arm lowered. "Spinny?" she said.
"Three-of-Eight will act as liaison between your group and myself," said Theridia, watching as the spiderling spat something small into a gloved hand. Raising it up to Renee, Spinny revealed it to be a chartreuse-colored thumb drive, dropping it into the shapeshifter's hand. "Now then," said Theridia. "Tell me what you know."
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Al would tense.. and then relax as it turned out to be Spinny.”Well that isn’t so bad.” He said as he then sighed at Arukenimon’s question.
“Well first thing you gotta know: we’re going to make sure the server that houses Waihona doesn’t collapse.”
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"Really now? And how do you plan on managing that?"
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“Well, its both really simple and incredibly complicated. We have to find Lonomon.”
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"Difficult to find a deific digimon outside of the Digital World."
"He's not in the Digital World," said Malie.
Theridia paused, her attention squared on the longhaired tamer. "Interesting," said the broker. "And what's led you to that conclusion, my dear?"
"We've got our sources. Top mons."
"Top... mons?"
"Yeah. Ever heard of Menehunemon?"
"To a point," said Theridia. "Not many of them around these days. If you found one that was willing to talk, then you're a very special group indeed."
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And that made Al smile a bit. “Oh you don’t know the half of it. But we have a reliable source inform us that Lonomon disappeared from the Digital World, and is somewhere here in our world.”
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"And you believe CODE knows something about it," reasoned Theridia.
"Wouldn't they?" asked Renee, the shapeshifter cleaning the spit off the thumb drive with Al's shirt. "It stands to reason that they would. At least more so than most."
"True. They have the resources to detect such a power manifesting this side of the Network... but travel through a distortion can have adverse effects on a digimon. The more powerful, the more phenomenal. This may not apply to a Guardian 'Akua per se. I certainly don't know of any examples of them coming over to Earth. But even so, it's worth keeping in mind."
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“It’s probably even more than that. We suspect that they either have him.. or have an idea where Lonomon is and are trying to capture him. But.. it’s likely the former. We have too much evidence that he’s in captivity.” He said as he glanced at Renee
(“Do we tell her about the Ki’is?”)
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("She did say she wanted anything related to the 'Akua,") thought Renee. ("Now that Keilani's bound to the pact, I'm not sure if it'd be safe to keep it from her.")
The mental conversation was cut short by the familiar sound of a phone vibrating. Theridia pulled its source from her pocket. "Excuse me for a minute," she said, looking down at the screen. "Talk amongst yourselves, this shouldn't take long..."
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(“True.. let’s see if this bites us in the ass..”)
“Alright.” Al said as he looks over at Malie, a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
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Malie's eyes were downcast, her fists tightening atop her knees. "Yeah," she said, nodding as if it were an afterthought. "I'm just taking it all in." Her attention was drawn to Spinny as the tiny arachnid climbed onto the armrest built into the wall next to the tamer.
"You guys should know," said Spinny. "While I can't always stick around, you should still contact me before calling mama on your digivices. She gets cranky if you try, and has a very tight schedule most of the time."
"We're grateful she could see us on such short notice," said Renee, a warm smile on her face. ("Even though she's doing a faux pas by talking to someone else on her phone.")
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“I don’t blame you.. it’s a lot.” He looked down at Eyesmon
“Do you have the drive?” He asked as he glanced at Spinny. “Seconded what she said. It’s been a strange day.”
(“Double Standards don’t exist for her I guess.”)
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Winking, Renee handed the 'drive over to him. A thought then occurred. Not once had Eyesmon said anything since getting inside the limo.
"I'm afraid we'll have to cut this short," said Theridia as she put down her phone. "Much as it galls me, something's just come up that requires my full attention."
"Is it something we should know about?" asked Keilani, her expression stone-faced.
"Doubtful. Even so, I apologize for the inconvenience."
Moments later, the rumbling of the road beneath everyone began dying down. The nearby door unlocking itself as Renee exchanged looks with Alemana.
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“Before you go, one thing. Do you know what is attacking the people at our highschools?”
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"Attacking?" echoed the broker. "I could have sworn I told you no more freebies... so I'll give you a hint instead. Nightmarchers." So saying, Theridia put back on her sunglasses, gesturing for the group towards the door.
("Nightmarchers?") thought Renee. ("Like the Hawaiian folktale?")
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“Then I guess you’ll have to meet us to get the truth then.”
(“Unclear..”)
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Without further word, the group stepped outside and onto the sidewalk. In silence they watched as the white limousine drove off, with more questions than answers.
"WHAT A BITCH!!" roared Eyesmon, near giving everyone a heart attack from behind! "SHE THINKS SHE'S SO HOT!! THE TIGHT ASS NERVE OF IT!!"
"Eyesmon!" snapped Renee. "It's broad daylight! You're making a scene!"
The dark dragon would not be silenced, her rant bordering on incoherency even as she moved to the dumpster of a nearby alleyway.
"You guys heard her, right?! It's like every time she mentioned my name she holding back a sneer! OOOOOH!!"
"I'm not so sure about that," said Keilani.
"Don't defend her! That spidery witch thinks I'm a PUNK!! But I know what's up! I can read her like a goddamn e-book!"
"Why an e-book specifically?" said Renee, the shapeshifter pinching between her eyes.
"Rage! RAAAAAAAAGE!!"
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Al was just as shocked as everyone else by that outburst, and he held up his hands to try to calm her down.
“Hey, hey I get it! But think about it Eyes.. we can use her to get information that’s too dangerous for us to try to uncover ourselves! We wouldn’t have to be risking our butts as much.. and it could help give you a little of a break!”
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The thousand-eyed shadow's efforts to grind her teeth down to the gums ceased as Al spoke. In a heartbeat, her scowl melted, the crimson of her namesake shifting back to violet as they all locked onto the athlete.
"Awwww!" she said, squirming in place. "Aly-waly-poo~! You always know the right thing to say to cheer me up I could just hug you and squeeze you and name you George except I won't because I love you just the way you are--"
As the dragon continued to talk without breathing, Keilani edged towards Malie. "Is she always like this?" she whispered behind the back of her hand.
"Heheh, like a one-heartbreak-away psychopath," mused Malie.
"--Almost forgot!" said Eyes. "While Arukenimon was busy on her phone, I got a looksee at who was calling her~!"
"Woah!" said Gammamon. "Really?!"
Eyes flashed a toothy smirk. "Better believe it! It was someone with an 808 area code!"
"808 encompasses the entire Hawaiian archipelago," said Renee. "Calm down."
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Al smiled uncomfortably and pat Eyesmon on her snout before he then spoke up “Thank you, Eyes. But Renamon is right.. let’s take things one step at a time. Like finding Kukuimon.”
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And just like that, the dragon began to sink into the ground.
"It's not my fault," she said, smile twitching. "I would've gone for her laptop if I thought I could get away with it, but it was so obviously a set up...!"
Renee sighed as she looked away from the dragon. Eyesmon now rested her chin over the edge of an umbral puddle, sobbing even as she forced herself to smile. Not even the many head pats of a concerned Gammamon to pull her from her funk.
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Al watched as she melted into a puddle and would kneel down.
“It’s okay, we all know how good you are. But you have that drive now, so it should make your job a breeze!”
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Eyes lifted her head up, her orbs glittering like violet-colored stars. "Aly-poo, I knew you would believe in me," she said, sniffling. Suddenly, her lips inflated as she puckered them up, moving in for the kiss... only to end up buried under Renee's sandaled foot.
"No," said the shapeshifter, arms folded.
The trip back to the car was made short thanks to Eyesmon knack for finding shortcuts. And after driving through much lighter traffic than before, the group arrived back at the clubhouse. Both Ike and Gaz were snoring up a storm in the other room, leaving Vivi to eat a small bucket of ice cream on the couch. As the others entered, she muted the news playing on the TV, listening to others explain what happened.
"Arukenimon," echoed the tired tamer. "So you don't need a tamer to stay on Earth a long time..."
"How long will it take to look through the thumb drive?" asked Malie.
"Dunno. Eyesmon's really good at handling info dumps, but, I wanna be sure there's nothing on it that'll make her sick."
"You think Theridia plans to double cross us," reasoned Renamon, now in her true form again.
Vivi frowned. "We can't get sloppy," she said. "No matter how much the gremlins in my head tell me to."
Keilani looked at Al and Renamon, the concern written all over her face.
"Vivi," said the astronomer. "You look like you've been working an all-nighter. You sure you don't want to get some sleep first?"
"It's fine. I got plenty of sleep in the hospital. Plus, the caffeine in my bloodstream's got me wired."
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Al would look at her in concern
“Are you sure? You guys have been pushing really hard the past few days.. I don’t want you to overdo it—“
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"I said it's fine." The spectacled tamer offered her hand, palm up. "Show me the thumb drive."
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He would sigh, but then place it in her palm.
“Just.. take it easy okay?”
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Vivi nodded, letting out a sigh as she got off the sofa. "Back to the grindstone, Eyes. Let's set up in the other room."
("She feels responsible for what happened,") thought Renamon, her eyes downcast. ("The incident at her school. Kukuimon still being MIA. The pressure to find answers for us to act on...")
"I'm gonna order us some food," said Keilani. "I know we just had lunch, but screw it."
"Guess I'll fill Ike and Gazimon in on what happened," said Malie.
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(“She’s not the only one who feels that way… I understand what she’s going through- at least a little..”)
“I think I’m gonna.. take a quick walk.”
-
Renamon had already donned her disguise again by the time Al turned towards the door. Hand in hand, the two left the clubhouse, leaving the others to their own devices.
"Distortions. Network nodes. Spiders. Nightmarchers..."
The pallid glow of Vivian's monitor traced lines underneath her eyes as she typed away. Hunched over the desk, she sighed, glancing at the chartreuse thumb drive sticking out of the port in her computer. On a moment's distraction.
"++Um, Vivi++" came Eyesmon's voice, the dark dragon's image popping up inside the tamer's screen. "++I can take care of reading all this. I've gotten better at summing stuff up, too, so--++"
"Eyes," said the tamer. "I'm not gonna let you do this alone. We'll have a better chance at finding a pattern in the data if we work together."
The thousand-eyed shadow wilted in place, but nodded all the same.
"Everyone's looking to us for answers. I owe it to them, and you..."
Alemana and Renee leaned over the rail, watching how the water flowed under the small bridge they were on.
("It's time for your daily checkup,") thought Renee. ("How're you holding up?")
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(“I dunno babe… everything feels weird in a way I can’t describe super well. It’s like… we’re making way more progress than ever, we got some solid leads, Kei’s in the posse, and we’re on track to find Kukui. But at the same time we seem to stumble across a dozen new questions for every answer we do happen to find..”) he said to her with a sigh.. looking out over the bridge.
(“I’m worried about Malie and Vivi..”)
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Renee wrapped her fingers around Al's hand. ("Me too,") she thought. ("Even with a new lead on Kukui, Malie's beating herself up over his disappearance. And Vivi, she must still be reliving what happened in the computer lab.") Renee laid her hand atop Al's, smiling as she looked into his eyes. ("They're strong people,") she thought. ("But just like you, they put so much on their shoulders.")
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He didn’t say anything, but he smiled as he gently squeezed her hand as he continued to stare at the river. He really didn’t have anything to say at that, so he just quietly enjoyed her company. Deep down though.. he didn’t feel any less uneasy. Something was happening.. and he wasn’t sure what the end result would be.
-
The shapeshifter laid the side of her head atop Al's shoulder. ("Tomorrow's the day when online classes are gonna start up again,") she thought. ("Think we should get Eyes to fake everyone's attendance?")
-
(“Maybe, it might be needed”) he admitted as he then kissed her cheek. (“I feel like Kei’s gonna try to be the horny police—“)
-
That got a chuckle out of Renee. ("Oh really? In all honesty, I'd like to see her try.") She then grabbed Alemana by the collar. ("Especially when her brother's such a handsome man.") She blinked as her true eyes broke through her disguise; those lurid, silver-blue moons. Unable to wait any longer, she pulled her tamer in for a kiss, her lips soft as they pressed against his.
-
Al laughed as well (“Well his girlfriend is the most beautiful girl in all of Hilo.. so it balances out.”) he said as he saw her true eyes, his face flushing(“Eyes even more bright than the full moon,”)
And he returned her kiss, hugging her tightly.
-
Renee mewled as she returned the gesture, chuckling inside her lover's mouth. ("I'd call that flattery if it wasn't true~") she mused. That she took the time to pinch Al's rear as her arms wrapped around his waist did not go unnoticed. Breaking off from the kiss, however, she would hold his hand up to her cheek, ever smiling. "Ready to head back?" she asked aloud.
-
(“I love you so much Renamon.”)
Rubbing his thumb along her cheek, he reluctantly nodded as he spoke aloud as well. “No.. but we probably should.” He said as he then sighed “I was thinking about what she said, about the Nightmarchers.”
-
("I love you too, Alemana,") thought the shapeshifter, only to shift over to talking aloud. "Oh? Any ideas on what she meant?"
-
“No. But I think dad could tell us something about em.” Al said, kissing her temple now.
“I’ve heard him mention them before, with mom late at night a couple times.”
Very late at night, in fact, when they thought he was sleeping. He never thought to equate it to digimon.. but it was strange that his dad and mom would be overly suspicious people. Honestly it was probably a long shot and didn’t actually lead anywhere.. but it couldn’t hurt to see if they knew anything about the Night Marchers.
-
As the two began making their way back to the clubhouse, Renee nodded. "I think you're right," she said. "Now that you mention it, it does sound familiar. How recent was this?"
-
“Mm… it hasn’t been too often.. maybe a couple weeks ago at the most recent?” He said, arm slung over her shoulder as they walked.
-
"In that case, it shouldn't be hard to bring it up in conversation. We'll just say we overheard them and got curious."
The rest of the day proved uneventful. Despite having the thumb drive, neither Eyes nor Vivi were ready to share any of their findings. Even when Keilani got back with takeout, Vivi didn't stick around beyond a "thank you" as she took hers and Eyesmon's order back to their lab room. Malie would make sure to check up on them, leaving the Sonsons and their partners to head home while Ike and Gaz kept watch for trouble.
In spite of it all, Cashew's barking was enough to lighten the mood the minute they approached the house.
"I think I'm gonna go take a nap," said Keilani as she shielded Gammy from Cashew's jumping. "You guys need anything?"
A snap of Renee's fingers instantly brought Cashew to heel. "We should be fine," she said, patting the dog on the head as she knelt down. "Right Al?"
-
Al would nod and softly give her shoulders a squeeze. “Here’s hoping they’re willing to talk.”
_______________
Al would do his best to pop in every now and then to check up on the two, but it didn’t amount to much beyond Vivi absently saying that she was fine while she worked. So when it was finally time to go home he would linger back to let Keilani leave first before giving Malie a hug goodbye and sneaking a kiss from Ike. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” He said as he left with Renee and returned home.
Smiling as Cashew was being, well, Cashew… He would pet the dog while giving a wave to his sister “Aight. We’re probably gonna chill for awhile too. It’s been.. a really weird day.” He then smiled “But not in a bad way.”
-
The astronomer smiled. "Yeah," she said. "And, for all the issues still going on, it's good to be back."
"Yeah!" said Gammamon. "Renamon, let's play-fight while Keilani naps!"
"Mhmhm, maybe later, Gammy," mused the shapeshifter.
Chuckling, Keilani pulled her partner out of her duffel bag, wrapping her arms around him as she headed upstairs.
-
“I hope you don’t get your butt kicked again,” he joked as they went up stairs. He then looked at Renee, gently nudging her. “So.. what should we do now baby?”
-
"That depends," said Renee, standing up. "Do you wanna look for your parents, or..." She wrapped an arm around the back of Al's neck. "Do you feel like blowing off some steam?"
-
“Mm.. that’s a good question. What does my fox goddess want to do?” He asked, nuzzling her.
-
"Why don't I show you instead?" she whispered in his ear. She then grabbed him by the waistband, leading the teen to the bedroom.
Door locked. Blinds down. Cock out. That's what happens when Renee got her way. Nuzzling her lover's groin, She lifted Al up onto her shoulders. The teen had to bend forward just to avoid hitting the ceiling, yet even had he not, something told him the shapeshifter would have bent her knees at the last second.
"Mmmh, your musk," she huffed, burying her nose deep into Al's jungle. "Smells just as good as before...!"
-
He would laugh, not expecting her to do such a thing “w-Woah… you’re definitely into it today huh?” He asked, rubbing his member along her nose as he pet the top of her head. “Good thing Kei can’t see this..”
-
"Like I'd stop if she could." Letting her breath haze the length of Al's shaft, Renee wrapped her tongue around the tip, pulling it in for her to swallow. She mewled as suckled him, lips so soft Al couldn't feel them. Only the heat of breath, the tightness of her mouth, the pressure as he slid along her tongue and down her throat. Just when the teen thought to relax his guard, Renee began marching towards the bed, jostling him with every step, till she dropped forward and landing him on his back. Without pulling off from her tamer's meat, the shapeshifter threw her legs up and over Al, planting her folds square on his face. She shuddered, her tail manifesting through her disguise. Her muscular thighs clenching either side of Al's head. ("Kiss me, my love,") she said inside his mind. Unable to hold back, Renee began pumping Al's shaft with her head. Up and down, up and down, one hand fondling his balls, while the other wrapped around his leg.
-
“I know.. if mom can’t stop you.. she couldn’t eithe- Woah-“ and he moaned.. laughing as she did her combination of sucking and walking.. and when he hit the bed and she straddled him.. well he would kiss those lower lips with zero hesitation.. in fact he was just as eager as she, the way his tongue dug into her mound…!
-
The shapeshifter squirmed atop her lover's face, her shivers setting her body aflame as she released her illusory disguise. She slipped the base of her leg under Al's head, forcing him deeper inside her. In that moment, her mewling grew longer, louder; the vulpine savoring Alemana's shaft as she took control of her breathing. Her tail, twisting and twitching mad above the two, slowed. But Renamon was far from finished. With one hard thrust, she deep throated Al's entire length, her nose teasing at his sack, all the while.
-
Al would purr and growled into Renamon’s folds.. pushing his hips upwards into her lips.. and then her muzzle as her illusion burned away. Seeing her in that full splendor.. the excitement that leaked from his loins and the same that pooled into his mouth between each fervent lick.. the shared ecstasy and desperation.. all of it awakened that primal instinct in him.
(“I love how much we’re meant for each other..”)
-
More and more, Renamon squirmed in place. Her folds grew thick with her scent as it mixed with Alemana's tongue. Through their shared link, Al could feel it to, blurring the line between just who was doing what to whom. Renamon tensed her shoulders, squeezing her breasts between her elbow's and Alemana's sides. She dug her claws into her lover's leg, her eyes snapping open. Without seeing it, Al knew the vulpine's hackles were up. She pulled back, allowing herself a chance to breathe... only to go even harder and pumping the teen's cock. Her grinding against Al's face intensified, threatening to suffocate him as she clenched her thighs and made manic her tail thrashes.
-
Al felt himself getting lost in the moment as the two went down on each other.. his member leaking it’s nectar into her maw while hers did the same. But when her legs locked around his head and her claws dug into the sensitive meat of his thigh.. he gave a pained gasp into her muff.
(“R-Rena—?”) he asked.. trying to take a proper breath as her hips began moving faster.. pressing harder down on his face. She was getting wild again.. was she that pent up?
-
The vulpine said nothing, her thoughts a heady fog inside Al's head as she snarled, clutching at his backside with her spare hand. Without warning, she deepthroated him a second time, a rush of heat blasted the teen as he felt the walls of Renamon's throat squeeze tight around him. It was hard to make out anything underneath the wild fox, for a minute, Al could have sworn his partner's pussy had gotten wider, her legs heavier.
("Nn-not enough!") she thought, her inner voice hoarse and eager. ("Don't quit on me! I need MORE!!")
-
He took note of that, and he was about to question her when she throated him again.. and he whined into her pussy from the sudden heat.. but yet he felt they same desperation take hold of him a bit as well- and he would then attack that now more exposed clit.. swirling his tongue around the nub as he nibbled on her folds. After a few moments he then, swept up in this bestial fever heat of arousal, gently bit that bundle of nerves..!
-
Renamon gave a start, almost screaming into Al's shaft as her legs buckled and clenched. Still she dug her claws into him, suckling at the root of his manhood, the tips of her fangs rubbing against his scrote. Her loins were fire, burning, hungering, needing release. Wider and wider, her clit grew, but even her Kohenkyo had its limits, and when it failed to swallow Al's head whole, she near pummeled him with it. The springs of the bed whining against the onslaught!
-
He yelped in surprise as this happened, the absurdity of this freakishly large pussy startling him even as she beat his face with it... and even though it caught him off guard he still attempted to give it kisses. As this was going on.. and he felt the sharp points of her teeth pricking against his balls he gave her now heavier ass a few smacks.
(“Get off the bed baby, now!”) he growled in her mind.. as a rather bizarre idea came to him. He had never thought of trying it before, never even conceptualized it.. but this aggressive lust that was filling his lungs and soaking his brain provided him inspiration.
(“Digivolve.. I want to fuck you as- as Kyubimon..!”)
Would she even go for it? Hell.. would he, once she actually went through with it? Fucking Renamon was one thing- vulpine as she was she still had a human-like body structure. But Kyubi..was decidedly not. And this thought was darkly exciting —
-
Some part of Renamon was still lucid enough to interpret Al's thoughts, for just after the teen finished thinking his request, the vulpine's body start to glow. Al had only seconds to roll off the bed before his partner was enveloped in a holographic cocoon, landing on her as they rolled on the floor. No declaration of digivolution was made, no proclamation of name or title. Instead, Al found himself sliding away from his lover's folds, his manhood inside the horse-sized Kyubimon's mouth as she held him up by the wrists of her paws.
"M-mmph!" mumbled the nine-tails, struggling to move with the sacred rope harness around her neck. But she wouldn't be stopped. Baited breath soon bathed Al's junk as the great fox opened her mouth, allowing her to better wrap her elongated tongue around Al's junk. "(A-Al,)" she thought. ("I-I need y-you...!")
-
He was just quick enough to roll off the bed with a thump.. and then a much larger one shook his room slightly as Renamon- now Kyubimon- finished her transformation. Seeing her in this situation.. feeling that now much longer tongue wrap around his dick and slither along it made him shudder in a mix of lust.. and genuine wonder. She was still just as adorable- beautiful in this shape.. and he almost released into her mouth at that realization.
(“Kyubi.. I.. I don’t think I can hold it back..!”)
-
Gasping, the ninetails ceased in her ministrations. Her limbs were trembling. Panting hard and fast, she spread her lower legs wide open as she dropped Al, sending the teen towards her loins. ("Breed me!") she thought. ("Breed me!") As Kyubimon screwed her eyes shut, Alemana stared down at his lover's swollen vulva. Somehow, she had managed to maintain biological traits from her Kohenkyo, even after digivolving. "Hurry!" she cried out loud. "Before I ffff--fucking explode!"
-
Al was mesmerized as he dropped to the floor.. and he was busy climbing to his feet so he could properly get behind her. (“You wanna be bred, big girl?”) he asked.. his mind muddled by that fog of instinct as he gave her nether lips a rub.. marveling at their stranger - still enlarged - shape. (“You want me to breed you like the bitch you are?”) and his hand were now digging into her flank.. now panting just as hard as she was.
“Bring that ass back then.. baby..!” He growled out.. his dick now throbbing more fiercely than before..!
-
The great fox snarled and whined before slamming her hindquarters into Al's girth. The miracle that the teen's pelvis didn't break on impact was buried beneath the burning white heat of every nerve in his groin. His entire dick, balls and all, sank inside his partner before she clenched them in place. The sudden rush causing her breath to hitch, Kyubimon throwing her head back as far as she could!
-
Al couldn’t hold back the gush of air as she did that, or the moan that left his lips.”Fuck.. fuck..!” He groaned out as he pulled back and the pushed into Kyubimon.. trying to build up a rhythm. “Take it.. take it..!” He whispered-yelled.. smacking her large flank with each thrust of his hips. “You feel.. it feels so different!”
-
Kyubimon's tails thrashed about even more than when she had only the one as Renamon. Bits and pieces were falling off nearby furniture. Alemana was lucky to only have a single tail underneath him. Though being this close to Kyubimon's body, he was in no risk of being bashed aside.
The great fox threw her forepaws over her muzzle, her edging towards climax bleeding into her and Al's link as she writhed on the floor. The walls of her insides pulsed against her lover's shaft. Any second now, she was going to burst, she couldn't hold on any longer!
-
That was more than enough to set him over the edge. hugging that tail, his thrusting continued for one, two, three.. four.. five more pumps before he muffled his own primal scream with her tail.. pumping his load into his giant lover.. shuddering from the mind melting storm boiling in his very brain..!
-
And in turn, Kyubimon gave out a silent scream as her nectar blasted free of her slit. Yet the lack of sound was belied by the vibrations Al felt climb up his shaft and into his body. Cashew could be heard barking outside the door as the floor of Al's bedroom trembled underfoot!
("I... I can't move,") thought Kyubimon. All tension in her body fell away, her tails dropping as she went limp.
-
Her release was so warm it almost burned. In fact, it hit him at such a volume that it actually stung..! Al felt his bones vibrate from the sensation.. and his mind was awash in a tidal wave of shared euphoria so potent it was almost agonizing for a brief moment. It was pure luck that he didn't pass out from the overload, and he slumped against Kyubimon.. panting raggedly as he held to her for dear life.. his legs trembling so badly he was pretty sure walking would've been impossible.
("Me neither.. i can barely breathe,") he responded.. his strength virtually spent.
"Fuck me, big girl..~" he whined in stunned amazement as he used the tail in his arms as a cushion.
-
Kyubimon chuckled. "I believe that's your job, hon," she said. "Though that does give me an idea for next time..." The ninetails continued panting, her hind legs quivering with Al still inside her. ("I never thought about trying Kohenkyo while digivolved,") she thought. ("Was it too much?")
-
“What sort of ideas?” He asked..Throbbing inside Kyubimon. Giving a long sigh of relief, he gave her tail another squeeze.
(“It was.. intense. But I don’t regret it big girl..”) he thought with a chuckle. (“Why haven’t we done this before? You’re beautiful in all your forms..”)
-
("Mmhmhm, maybe it has something to do with how small the room gets.") So thinking, Kyubimon glanced over her body at the rest of Al's bedroom. The ground was littered with paraphernalia, with even Al's desk chair being capsized under one of Kyubi's tails. ("At least the house isn't on fire,") she thought. ("My harness isn't doing my neck any favors though.")
-
(“True enough..”) he laughed again, scratching at her side before he then asked (“Do you want to change back? Or do you want to do other things?”)
-
("Honestly? I'm not sure. Give me two minutes and we can try for another round. Otherwise... well, I'm more than happy to get cozy before we shower.")
-
(“That’s my girl..~”) and he would rest against her.. hoping to recover enough to do the same.
-
Kyubimon closed her eyes, her breathing returning to normal. But Al was unable to do the same, for mere moments after, he saw his partner wreathed in illusory flame. The walls of her womanhood shifted around the teen's shaft. The tail he was using as a cushion disappeared. As the phantom embers faded, Alemana found himself inside a giant version of Renee, not just in height, but with proportions to match!
"How... how do I look?" she breathed, her true eyes staring back at Al from over her bosom.
-
To say Al was breathless was an understatement. Looking her over.. his face was flushed a deep cinnamon as then hugged her. "Holy shit.. holy shit babe...!" he whispered, his face now in her chest.
-
The shapeshifter chuckled. "Wow, Al," she said, wrapping her arms around him. "You're so tiny. The last time you were this size, we were back on Waihona...!" Despite her size, her voice remained the same pitch. Al could feel Renee's heartbeat as he was pressed against her. Her breasts were almost as big as his head! "I think I'm gonna need more practice using this in champion form. I can't seem to shrink."
-
"Yeah, yeah.. laugh it up Kitmon," he said with a smile as he looked up at her, his hands softly resting on her waist. "I know you can get it right eventually, you're a genius big girl.." He would then plant a few kisses along her bust.. seeing as he couldn't reach high enough to make it to her face from where he was at the moment.
-
Renee crooned, a lock of hair hooked to the side of her mouth. ("Takes a kitmon to know one~") she mused. She traced a finger down to her loins, plucking at her pearl as she held her lover close. "I love you, Alemana..."
-
("Very funny,") Al gave a shiver as he felt her channel clench around his dick when she did that.. and he would grin in a boyishly charming way as he gave her a squeeze. "I love you more, Renee~"
-
"I love you best," mused the giant. No longer satisfied with her clit, she began groping one of her breasts as she stared back at Al. Smirking, she made a show of it, rolling her thumb against her teat, copping it, squeezing it as she made a fanning motion with her fingers. She winked at the teen with lurid eyes, her face flushed and vibrant.
-
“That’s cheating!” He said with a laugh as he decided to join in the fun. While she played one one breast, he would latch onto the other with his lips.. suckling hungrily as he tried to pump up into his giant lover. (“God.. you’re amazing Renamon..”)
-
("Mhmhmhm, naturally~") she thought. The giant arched her back as Al's tongue teased at her tit, her breath hitching before she let out a quiet moan. The warmth from her loins disguised the cream filling her pussy, even as Al stirred it with his cock. Between that and their psychic link, it truly felt as though they were of one body. ("Nnnn--that tongue,") she thought, huffing. ("You've gotten so good with it, hon.")
-
He would feel that “cream” leak down his length as he did his best to stir up his partner’s folds.. and he moaned against her breast.
(“It feels like we’re one and the same.. doesn’t it?”) he asked.. nuzzling into her (“It feels right.. but different.”)
-
Renee pulled up the hand she was using to hold Al in place, using it to stroke the back of his head. ("With you,") she thought. ("I could never be happier.") Her thighs twitched, her insides clenching to better feel the athlete's dick as it poked and prodded her. The room grew humid as the giant gave off another wave of heat, yet even so, her flesh was supple to the touch, her scent intoxicating.
-
That made him melt into her touch, and he would pull his lips from her so he could smile up at his beloved Renamon “I feel the same way.. you’re amazing, powerful, wonderful. What the fuck dis I ever do to deserve you?”
-
"By being the cutest little kitmon I've ever seen~" She would make her point with a boop of her finger against Al's nose. "Ohh, my brave, loving, little man..."
-
And he would grin.. gently bucking up into her again. “You.. you’re gonna make me get us caught..” he said as he then chuckled “My gorgeous, divine, perfect fox..”
-
"Hooooo, doing what?" chuckled Renee. "Having sex? I can change back whenever. I. Want. Even if they force the door open, I've still got time to fix myself up." Every pump of Al's manhood made Renee's twins bounce, the shapeshifter cooing as she let her head rest back on the floor.
-
“Yeah.. because everyone should see us fucking like animals right?” He joked, giving her another handful of thrusts.. mesmerized by the bouncing of her chest. “You want the whole world to know who’s the alpha huh~?”
-
"Only when it comes to you, Al. Let nobody think others."
At last, Renee was beginning to sweat, the sheen of her body caught by the light of the room. She took a sharp intake of air, the bounce of her cleavage mounting with every thrust. Kyubimon's face markings began to burn through her disguise, but if she realized it, Al didn't sense it, their link blanketed in a haze of dizzying warmth.
-
He would kiss just below her bust, looking up.. and feeling a strange confusion as he saw that “Wow babe.. it feels that good..~?” He asked.. not realizing her lapse of control was unintentional.. that haze clouding his judgement.
-
"I... can't help it," she huffed. "Everything's been just so tense, I just... feel... gooood..." Suddenly, her body went limp. Like an overflowing chalice, her womanhood poured out onto the floor. In that moment, she began to shrink. No foxfire. No incandescence. Just shrinking till she was normal-sized Renee, her face markings vanishing as wisps of smoke.
-
He gave a whine as he felt her gush over him.. and his own release followed. “It does… oh my goood…” he said with a laugh as he released inside her again.. but when she started to shrink he would catch her.. but then stumbled and fell backwards on the bed with her atop of him, brushing the hair from her face.
“What-“ another shared wave hit him, making him shiver from his head to his toes. “What.. what just happened…”
-
Renee said nothing, the slow sound of her breathing all to be heard as she fell fast asleep. Little did either of them know, however, that in the other room, Keilani lay atop her own bed. Her back to the door, her eyes wide open, whilst a snoring Gammamon laid spread out atop the blankets.
Hours later. Renee was still a snooze when Alemana and Keilani went down for dinner. Keilani gave her brother a blank stare from across the dinner table, only snapping out of it when Jen and Noa began asking questions.
"So how was your first day back?" asked Noa. "You guys do anything exciting?"
"Yeah," said Keilani. "Al was showing me places he, Ike, Mal, Vivi--and Renee--like to hang out."
"Well that sounds fun," said Jen. "How're they doing?"
-
Al would lay there with Renamon as she slept in his arms and he dozed off, though before he passed out he faintly hoped that no one had heard him or Renamon
________
Al, by contrast, was doing everything he could to avoid eye contact with his sister during dinner. She knew, oh god she knew. Why else was she staring at him like she just watched him kick a puppy? Mortification ran though him as he picked at his food, and he almost missed what his mother asked before looking up in surprise.
"Oh uh, everyone is fine. Vivi is a little tired still after what happened at her school, but she's okay." he said as he locked eyes with Kei for a moment- and she could see the guilt written on his soul. He knew she knew that he did it.. but there was no way in hell he was going to admit that to anyone.
-
"I can only imagine what she's going through," said Jen. "How anyone's supposed to sleep after something like that, it's just crazy."
Jen and Keilani went on in discussing Vivi's condition, but Al's attention was pulled away when he felt a presence inside his head. ("Don't... don't forget to ask,") thought Renamon, her words dull as she woke up. ("The Nightmarchers--sorry, I blacked out, didn't I.")
-
"I can imagine it, actually." Al said, almost under his breath, though he felt Renamon's voice in the back of his mind. ("You did, but its okay baby girl.") he assured her as he then looked at his parents. "Oh but about school, I had a question that I think you could help me with Dad. What could you tell me about Nightmarchers?"
-
Noa glanced from his plate. "Huh? Nightmarchers?" he echoed. "As in huaka'i pō? Didn't they teach you about them in school?"
-
"Yeah they did, but I have this feeling that there is more to them than what they told us in school." he then glanced at Keilani "I have been.. noticing a lot of thing that haven't been adding up."
-
Jen and Noa exchanged looks. "The Nightmarchers are ghosts," said Noa. "They're the spirits of warriors that march across Hawaii after dark."
"Did you see something the other night?" asked Jen.
-
"Ghosts?" Al asked, looking at both of them
"Well... I've seen.. things."
("I think we've got em.")
-
("How do you mean?") thought Renamon.
"Is... it something you wanna talk about?" asked Noa.
-
"Mm.. Maybe? I don't know if you'd believe me."
("I want to see what they'll say.")
-
"Well," said Jen. "Almost everyone in Hilo's either got a story about them or knows someone who does. I know plenty of people from work who gossip about it."
"Oh yeah?" chuckled Noa. "Get a lot of pets with Nightmarcher problems?"
"Hah, more like Nohea and Kepano never shut up about them, especially around this time of year. The closer we get to Halloween? You bet that's all they'll be interested in."
-
“Yeah, they tend to get brought up a lot around this time” Al admitted.. before then taking a breath
“But.. I’m starting to think they aren’t just stories.”
-
The two adults went quiet.
"Why?" asked Noa. "Do you feel sick, or hear someone beating a drum?"
-
He thought about that“I don’t think so.. but I have seen other things that make me believe that Nightmarchers are—“ he then almost sat straight up, eyes wide as the realization hit him. Kukuimon— he had been sick for days before he ran away, plagued by bad dreams. “I know someone who might.. Malie has a friend who had been complaining about being sick .. and then they disappeared..”
-
"Really?" asked Jen. "That's terrible! Does Malie remember where she last saw them?"
"She does," said Keilani. "It was somewhere in the woods not far from her house."
"You're kidding," said Noa. "What was her friend doing out there if they were sick?"
-
Al would look down as he then spoke a bit more quietly “They thought they would feel better if they got fresh air.. and I.. I kinda got in a fight with them over something really stupid. Then they- they..” he stopped talking.. and suddenly he felt the guilt wash over him again. “I think it’s partly my fault too..”
-
Jen laid a hand on Alemana's back. "Al..."
"Did you or their parents contact the police about it?" asked Noa. "Malie's mom's a cop, so I guess that goes without saying."
"How long ago was this?" asked Jen.
"A day or two ago," said Keilani. "So there's still a chance he might've just gotten lost." The astronomer glanced at her brother, reaching a hand out to hold one of his.
-
Al would smile at the support from his mother and sister.. but when his dad mentioned bringing in Malie’s mom, well he spoke before he had time to process and come up with an excuse.
“N-no! We can’t do that dad! We don’t know if we can tr-“
And he then stopped, heart now hammering in his chest.
“I-I mean…”
Fuck.. fuck fuck!
Why? Why did he just say that? Can’t trust her mom? That was just going to make them ask questions that he had been trying so hard to avoid answering for five years now.. fuck!
-
Everyone, even Keilani, flinched at the sudden outburst.
"Al?" said Noa, staring at the teen as if he'd grown an extra head. "What're you talking about? Can't do what?"
[Roll Torment.]
-
Rolling: 1 2 3 + 5= 11]
-
[Aight, you fail. React accordingly. ;) ]
-
Al felt the emotions overflow without any restraint, and the words following. “I can’t let her get involved, okay?! I don’t want to be responsible for Malie losing her mom on top of her partner— I-I mean friend.. I -I don’t know what I mean!” he would then stand up. “I have to get out of here, I shouldn’t have brought it up. I can’t do this..” he pushed his chair out of the way “Kuku and M-Mach were wrong .. I’m not cut out for this..” he then quickly walked out of the dining room, almost running up the stairs.
-
Cashew started barking. Al could hear the others talking, the skidding of chairs against the floor, his mother calling out to him. The moment he was through his bedroom door, he was caught by purple-sleeved arms that held him in place.
("Al!") thought Renamon. ("Al, it's okay! I'm right here!")
-
He would close the door as he hugged her tightly
“Baby, baby we gotta leave.. we gotta get out of here.”
-
The vulpine's eyes went wide. ("What? Why?") she asked. Suddenly, her ears twitched. Al heard it, too. Someone was coming up the stairs.
-
(“I fucked up, I fucked up bad baby..”) and he paused - eyes wide “Oh no—“
-
"Al?" came Keilani's voice. "Al? Talk to me, Al. What's going on?"
As the astronomer's voice grew louder and her footsteps drew closer, Al felt a shift in the air. A pressure, like diving too deep underwater. A low growl drew his eyes up at Renamon. The room was dark, yet he knew it was coming from her. There was a glow to her eyes as they glared at the door. For less than a second he could have sworn something flashed across them. Stranger still, Alemana felt no emotion through his link with her.
"Al...?"
-
Al would put his back to the door, keeping it closed as he called out “Go away Kei, I don’t wanna talk!”
Everything was too much, too fast.. he needed just some time to think. And that was when he felt that strange pressure. “What is this..?” He asked. But when Renamon started growling, his eyes turned to her “Renamon?” He asked. Was the room normally this dark at this hour? Hr could’ve sworn his desk lamp was still on. “Try to get some stuff in my backpack okay?”
He then saw her eyes.. saw that strange symbol flashing in her oddly glowing eyes. “H-hey.. are you okay?” He asked.. when he realized he felt- nothing from their link
(“Renamon—“) he thought.
-
The vulpine gritted her teeth, her claws twitching as she trembled in place.
A knock came at the door. "Al?" said Keilani. "Listen, I talked it over with mom and dad, you're in the clear."
Renamon's fur was standing on end, her growls growing harsher the longer Keilani talked.
"Please Al. I can't help if you don't let me in."
Static entered Al's mind. It was the only warning he'd get. Renamon was about to charge the door.
[Roll Feats of Strength to grapple the foxxo.]
-
Al was barely paying attention to what his sister was saying, the static in Renamon’s head drowning out all other stimulus. His eyes widened as he saw her fur stand on end.. the twitching claws twitching.. that snarling coming from her. What came next was all a blur.
”Kei get away from the door NOW!” Al shouted at the top of his voice as he lunged forward, trying to tackle Renamon away from the door as she did the same towards it.
[Rolling: 2 1 2 + 9= 14]
-
Renamon hissed as tamer and digimon made impact. Alemana was able to grab around her torso as he charged, but all through out, Renamon was swiping at the space behind the teen. She tried angling him out of the way, and it began to work. And in that moment Al saw what had been done to the door. Three hideous claw marks had been carved deep into the wood.
-
“Renamon, get ahold of yourself!” Al cried out as he strained, attempting to pull her away from the door.. pushing against her with all his strength. As to be expected, she was so strong.. but he wasn’t expecting her to fight against him as much as she was.
“Renamon, Stop!”
He didn’t care if they could hear him.. those gashes in the wood provided all the motivation he needed: he could NOT let her get past him. If she did that much damage to his door with just a half swipe- he shuddered to think what would happen to Keilani..!
-
The vulpine glowered and sneered, the icon in her eyes shaking with such intensity. More mental static began to reverberate within Al's mind. Then, a stutter. A shift. Renamon winced, grasping at her head as she screwed her eyes shut.
"Al," she said, her voice strained and faint.
The static faded, the vulpine easing off from her partner. Instead of pushing, now Renamon was using Alemana for support, her knees buckled under her.
-
Al grit his teeth as the static filled his head.. his expression pained as he looked into her eyes. What the hell was that symbol.. what did it mean? And then it suddenly disappeared and she seemingly returned to normal.
“Renamon?” He asked, holding her up as she buckled . “W-what just happened?”
-
Keilani was back at the door. Al could hear her shuffling. Again she knocked, calling out his name.
("Al,") thought Renamon. She opened her eyes. Gone were the green symbols, just the silver-blue moons Alemana knew and loved.
Her ears perked up as something as something began hammering the door. "Al, open this door or I'm knocking it down!"
-
(“Are you.. okay Rena?”) he asked, his hands cupping her face as he gently began kissing her muzzle and her nose. When Kei began banging on the door he would look back “Wait, just wait one second!”
He then looked again, starting into those silver-blue eyes. “It’s.. going to be alright.” He gave her lips a kiss as he got up- opening the door.
“Kei..”
-
Renamon returned the kiss, but said nothing.
Keilani was halfway to banging the door when Al opened it, freezing as she saw the teen. "Al, what happened?" she asked. "You scared me half to death!"
-
He would look back at Renamon, and back at his sister.
“I- I panicked. I was slipping up and letting things out that I shouldn’t and I just.. I think Renamon was being affected by my panic and it.. I dunno.. it took her over. She.. she tried to claw her way through the door to get at you—“
-
Keilani motioned to speak, but then both she and Al heard footsteps coming up the stairs.
"What's going on up here?" called Noa.
"Keilani?!" called Jen. "Alemana?!"
Too late. By the time either tamer thought to do something, both parents were standing at the threshold.
"Kids, what--" Jen covered her mouth. Al didn't need to turn around to see where his mother's eyes were fixed.
"Is that a--?!"
"Dad, wait!" said Keilani.
-
“H-hold on, it’s not-!” Al said, trying to block their view of Renamon- but it was too late. He could see that they were looking right at her. He would retreat into the room and wrap his arms around her protectively. “Mom, dad- it’s not what you think! Don’t freak out, she.. she’s not gonna hurt anyone!” He then added “She’s not a bad Kapua! She.. she’s my partner-“
-
"A digimon!" said Jen, her hands shaking. "I knew it all along!"
What weariness was pulling down on Renamon vanished, the vulpine now staring at Mrs. Sonson.
"It's really happening," said Noa, almost under his breath. Eyes rolling up, he then fell backwards.
"DAD!!" cried Keilani, the astronomer putting herself between him and the wall across from Al's door.
-
“Wait- “ his eyes were now wide as saucers. “You know what digimon are ?!”
Any questions he had fell to the wayside when his father just.. fainted?!
“D-dad?!”
-
As Jen moved to help Keilani and Noa, a familiar voice went "BOOM!!" startling everyone still conscious.
"GAMMY!!" screamed Kei.
"GAMMY?!!" echoed Jen. Keilani proceeded to swear up a storm as both she and Jen tried to revive Noa, leaving Renamon and Al to stare at the chaos unfolding.
-
Al was almost paralyzed by what was happening- save for his hands that were petting Renamon to keep her calm.. though it seemed that it was more to help keep him calm. “H-hey.. everyone please calm down and stop yelling..”
-
The living room was quiet. Noa was nursing an icepack on his head as he sat in his armchair, with Jen standing beside him. Meanwhile, Al, Renamon, Keilani, and yes, even Gammy, sat across from them on the couch.
"So," said Jen, arms folded. "Seems everyone's been keeping secrets in this house."
Gammamon was about to speak, but Keilani slapped a hand over his mouth.
-
Al held onto Renamon’s hand paw, this thumb gently stroking the back of it as he took a steadying breath. “Not because We wanted to.. but- we couldn’t be sure if it was safe to..”
-
Jen nodded, her attention shifting between her children and their digimon. "We... haven't been honest, either." she said. "Not because we wanted to, but, because we thought it would keep you safe." Jen looked away, a frail smile on her face. "That's not the whole truth either," she rasped. "It's sounds like I'm making excuses."
Cashew walked over to the woman, tail wagging as he pawed at Jen's leg.
"Mama," said Keilani. "Please don't cry..."
But Jen continued, even as she stroked Cashew. "Your father and I buried our heads in the sand, wanting to believe everything was alright. That it would be alright, as long as we gave you space to figure things out on your own."
Noa stirred in his seat. "Jen," he said. "It's not your fault. I'm the one who came up with the idea."
-
“Mom.. māmā-“ Al started.. before he got up and promptly hugged her. “It- it’s okay.. I.. I- understand why you guys would do it…” he would righting his hold around her shoulders.
“I have been keeping this from you since that day I called you in a panic after practice in middle school.. remember that? I just came back from.. from the digital world.” He slowly let go, looking at his dad- the guilt shimmering in his eyes as he held up his hand palm out.. the burn scars visible. “It’s where I got these.. it wasn’t something that happened at practice..” he took another breath.
“I’m just.. I’m sorry for lying and hiding things this long.. you’re our mom and dad- and I was scared that I couldn’t trust you. I’m so sorry—“
-
"I know," she said, returning the hug. "I know, sweetheart..."
Noa rested his hand on Al's forearm, rubbing his thumb against it. Keilani, too, would get up from her seat, embracing her family from behind.
Renamon's gaze fell to the floor, only looking away when Gammamon walked over to her atop the couch. Gammy smiled, patting the vulpine on the back.
"You two." Both digimon looked up. Jen was gesturing at them as she rest her chin atop Al's shoulder. "Come. Come here."
It took only a moment for Rena and Gammy to process. Getting up, the vulpine made tentative steps, only to rush in and hold onto the Sonsons, with Gammamon flying close behind her.
"This is our ohana," said Jen. "Welcome home...!"
-
This moment.. how many times did he play it out in his head? How many nights did he dream about it? He had spent so much time dwelling on what ifs.. this moment felt unreal.
“I-I’m not dreaming am I? This is really happening right?” He asked with a small laugh.. tears in the corners of his eyes.
-
"Ohana!" cheered Gammy, the ceratops burrowing his face into Al and Keilani's back. Cashew started barking again, this time rubbing up against his family.
"Looks like Cashew wants to hug, too!" chuckled Noa. "C'mere, you!"
"You must have so many questions," whispered Jen. "Your father and I do, too. But if you need time to think, we can always wait until tomorrow..."
-
Al would start laughing, almost crying. It wasn’t sadness or stress- but relief and genuine joy.
“N-no it’s— It’s not a problem mom..! I’ve.. well.. I’ve had a few questions that I always knew I wanted to ask, if you guys turned out to know about Digimon.”
-
Sniffling, Jen took a moment to rub under her nose; stepping back as the everyone broke from the hug.
"It all started back when we were in high school," she said. "One minute, we were going through the usual around Hilo, and the next, we were somewhere completely different."
"And we weren't alone," said Noa. The man's attention panned over to a picture on the wall. It was a drawing of a blue furred animal, with red paws and a headband. "Your mother and I, we... had partners. Digimon, just like you guys. Without them, we'd probably never had made it out of there."
"You were tamers?" asked Keilani. "But, what happened to them?"
Jen fell quiet, her eyes downcast. Seeing this, Noa held her hand. "A lot happened while we were over there," he said. "In the Digital World, things can get ugly, and, well... just when we thought we were all going home together, we ended up separated. We never saw our partners again."
-
Al listened with rapt attention, almost leaning over his seat as his father spoke. The fact that they were tamers too amazed him, and he couldn’t help but whisper “I guess being a tamer runs in the family,” to Keilani. His face fell when he heard that they lost their partners.. and he would squeeze Renamon unconsciously.
“I’m sorry. what were they like? Your partners?”
-
"The bravest," said Jen.
Noa nodded, pushing his glasses up. "Damn heroes, both," he said, a small smile working its way onto him. "They were polar opposites, otherwise. Always butting heads, almost like they were brothers."
"Do you mind if I ask," said Renamon. "What were their names?"
"Heh, Gaomon and Mo'omon. The best friends a couple of teens could ever ask for."
-
Tears began silently rolling down Alemana’s cheeks as he hears those names, and Renamon could feel the mix of sorrow and amazement wash over her from him. Fate had done something both amazing and heartbreaking.. it brought the son of MachGaogamon and Mo’omon’s partners to Mach himself.. and the injustice of what Varamon did now cut even deeper. He didn’t just destroy Mach’s brother.. he killed a piece of his own mothers heart.. her spirit. He killed part of Alemana’s Ohana.
“I’m so sorry…”
-
Renamon reflected Al's emotions in equal measure, the revelation like a lighthouse beacon in the dark.
"It's alright," said Jen. "Even though it still hurts to talk about them, after all these years, I would never give up the precious moments we shared together. I take to heart everything Mo'omon taught me about myself. As aloof as he was, he always believed in self-sacrifice for the sake of others. I like to think I see him in you and Keilani, every time you put yourselves in harm's way for the sake of friends and family."
-
“I… I met dads partner… I met Gaomon. I-or or rather MachGaogamon..” the tears didn’t stop.”W-We destroyed Varamon t-together..”
-
Both parents snapped their focus onto Al.
"It's true," said Renamon, her voice quivering as she balled her fists. "Mach's a kahuna now. He helped avenge Mo'omon, and in doing so, get us back to Earth through a gate between worlds."
Jen was silent, her hand over her mouth. But it was Noa whose eyes began pouring tears. "G-Gao," he said. Taking off his glasses, he struggled to keep his lip from trembling. "Y-you met... did he know who you were? Did he say--" he couldn't finish. Head hanging forward, his hands clenched over the edge of his chair's armrests.
-
Al felt his heart sting as he saw his fathers reaction to the news.. and he looked at Keilani
“Sis can you get your laptop? Please?”
-
At first, Keilani furrowed her brow, regarding her brother. Without a word, though, she nodded then left the room. She would return with the computer in hand, passing it over to Al.
("What's the laptop for?") thought Renamon.
-
(“I’m gonna try to contact MachGaogamon.”)
He wiped his eyes as he smiled at his sister. Taking one of the phone chargers they kept in the living room he would unplug it from its base and plug it into the computer. A moment later he pulled out his Digivice- and connected it to the computer.
“Okay.. moment of truth.”
He would find machs contact.. and hit it, putting it on speaker.
-
[Hmm...]
*Rollz*
Booop... booop... booop...
The receiver clicked. On one of the windows Al had set up, a soundwave visualizer showed activity. It was the only sign that the connection hadn't been cut.
"++...Aloha ahiahi?++" came a voice. "++Is someone there?++"
Al's father near choked himself on his own words, the points of his eyes like pinpricks as he stared at the screen.
"Noa," whispered Jen, her complexion pale as a sheet. "Noa, say something!"
*THUD!* went both hands to either side of the laptop. "GAO!!" bellowed Noa. "GAO, IT'S ME!! NOA!!"
A heavy pause fell over the room. Noa's eyes were wild, veins swelling into view on his forehead.
"++H-hello?++ said Mach, his voice uneven. "++W-who's there? You're breaking up!++"
-
Al would then speak up “Mach, Mach it’s me, Alemana Sonson!! “
-
"++H-llo?! H---o?!++" Static seeped into the call. But none of it stopped Noa, the man's voice ringing in everyone's ears as he shouted at the laptop.
"Gao! I'm here, brah! I know you can hear me!"
"Why's there so much static?" asked Gammamon.
"Time moves differently in the Kumulipo Server," said Keilani. "Not to mention we're worlds apart. But I don't get it, if the Digital World is faster than ours, how is MachGaogamon even able to make sense of what we're sending him?"
-
Alemana thought about that- and he then had an idea.
He hit the speech to text tool.
“Send message: ‘MachGaogamon, this is Alemana Sonson! It’s me who’s calling you, and I’m not alone, I have someone who wants to talk to you!’. Send!”
-
The message opened a chat box in a new window, displaying the tamer's every word. Three dots then appeared, each bouncing one after the other before repeating.
"He's typing!" said Renamon. "It worked!"
A *ping* sounded. Everyone leaned forward when they saw a new message pop up. ++Al?!++ it read. ++You sly dog! I thought I heard somebody! Took me hours to make sense of the static. Could've sworn I heard someone else yelling in the foreground!++
-
Al almost cheered when he saw that it worked. “Text MachGaogamon: ‘Sorry, there’s a lot of distortion, being in another world and all. But yeah I got someone who wants to say hi, someone you haven’t seen in a really, REALLY long time.” He then looked at his dad, holding the digivice to him.
-
Noa's hands were twitching before he took hold of the digivice. "Gao?" he said. "It's... it's me. Noa. Do you remember me and Jen? What we promised? Send!"
A moment of silence... then, a message pinged.
"++Brah, is it really you? I thought that--I mean I never--of course I remember I never forgot I missed you so much dude all this time I never stopped hoping this is lōlō I'm gonna explode over here--++"
("Is he thinking this directly into text?") thought Renamon, watching as Mach's text became a singular wall. ("No full stops or commas at all...!")
"T-text MachGaogamon!" said Noa. "I'm here, buddy! We're all here! Al told me what you did! I'm so damn proud of you guys!"
-
Al would wipe his eyes again as he smiled, one arm wrapped around Renamon as his dad talked to his partner after so long.. his smile turning into a grin that never left his face!
(“Can you blame him? How would you react if you suddenly heard from me after thousands of years of being apart?”)
-
("Perish the thought,") she mused, kissing the back of the teen's head. And there they would sit, watching Noa sob and talk into his son's digivice. Keilani held Jen as they shared a smile as Gammamon let the two hold him like a newborn. The longer it went on, the harder it was to believe what had happened in Alemana's room. Such questions could wait, though. For now, a moment of solace was needed, and justly deserved.
-
(“All the more reason to not judge.”) he silently chuckled.. and he would sit up and readjust, attempting to plop his partner in his lap. Whatever happened earlier.. well they would figure it out later.
(“If I ever see Varamon again I’m going to punch him all the way to another island.”)
-
("Mhmhm, if he isn't in hell, I'm sure he's a digi-egg somewhere in the Server, completely oblivious to his past incarnation.")
-
(“If I ever find it, I’m drawing angry eyebrows on it.”) Al retorted. Angry as he was.. he couldn’t bring himself to smash a digi-egg.
-
Renamon rested the side of her against Al's. ("You do realize what this means, though,") she thought. ("Kuku was right. The time difference between our worlds is shrinking. That we managed to contact Mach directly, instead of through electronic mail, opens up a lot of doors for us. At least with finding out what's happening on Waihona.")
-
(“Yeah… that does make me worried though. If it’s getting easier to communicate over there, thinks about his easy it is for bad digimon to come here..”)
-
The two were pulled from their thoughts when they heard Noa call Al's name. "Gao," he said. "I mean Mach--wants to talk to you." Handing his son's digivice back, Noa pointed at the chat window.
++Hey Al, Renamon++ it read. ++You've prolly got a mountain of questions to ask, and probably don't need to hear me and your old man crying our eyes out. I'll tell you everything I can. I've already let Menehunemon know what's happening, so hopefully, he'll be able to contact you soon++
-
Sitting up, he would take his Digivice back “Text MachGaogamon: ‘I don’t have many questions right now, I wanted to reconnect you to dad mainly. Renamon might have some though.’ Send.”
-
A sharp elbow to the side told Al of Renamon's disposition. Via their link, the teen felt the vulpine's cheeks become flushed with heat. It all served to make Noa laugh as he slapped his knee, even as Renamon took the digivice and began her inquiries.
[Alright, lemme know when you wanna transition to the next scene.]
-
Al gave a Yelp from the elbow, and he would laugh along with his father. This moment was good.. he felt as if he truly did a good thing by doing this.
[Heres good]
-
For the rest of the night, the Sonsons celebrated in their shared secret, talking at length about the small, day to day conspiracies they had made about Digimon. Much of it would escape Alemana, however. Between Keilani's return, a battle Gammamon, Arukenimon's reveal, Renamon's freakout, and now learning he was a second generation tamer? There was only so much adrenaline Al's body could produce before he crashed.
And he crashed hard.
Al felt something soft brush against his cheek. The world was a blur of color, shapes and shadows as he Cracked open his eyes. A meow as quiet as the distant birds outside harkened him from dream. Sugar was staring down at him, sat as she was beside his pillow-perched head. And there, nestled beside him, Renamon slept. Not Renee, not Ike, but Renamon, her muzzle tucked into his neck. The sun was shining beyond the curtained window, yet even so dimmed, the way it glittered upon the vulpine's yellow fur gave Al reason enough to stay awake.
Sugar licked her feline lips, her gaze turning as her ears perked. That's when Al saw his clock: 12:45 PM.
-
Waking up, Al would smile as he saw Renamon curled up around him, face in the crook of his neck. This sight wasn’t new, rare, but not new. But the fact that Renamon no longer had to hide what she was at home anymore.. well unless that rare occasion they had company.. it felt so freeing. Giving her ear a kiss, he turned his head to glance up at Sugar. “Hey little snickerdoodle.. what’s up?” He asked as he reached out to pet the cat. It was then he spied the clock, and he gave a sleepy laugh “Oh wow.. I must’ve been exhausted..”
-
Renamon stirred. "Did you say something, hon?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper. Sugar, however, got up from her seat, hopping off the bed as she made her way towards the door. She pawed at it with her little, white mittens. Meowing. It was almost enough to distract from the claw marks on the door.
-
“Oh.. just talking to Sugar.” He said as he would give her another kiss. “Good morning baby.” He said as he looked at the door as Sugar pawed at it, eyes lingering at the claw marks. “I should probably get that fixed at some point.” He said as he sat up, stretching slightly.
-
Renamon said nothing, instead sinking into the impression Al had left in the bed's mattress. Both heard footfalls outside the room, however. Al could feel the sudden pressure in Renamon's chest as she flinched, only to fade just as quickly.
The door creaked open, and like a white shadow, Sugar slipped out.
"Hey," came Keilani's voice. "You guys awake yet...?"
-
Al would smile as he gently ran his hand down her side when Kei opened the door, and he would then cover himself up with his blanket
“Y-yeah we are!”
-
"I wasn't looking!" she blurted out. "Listen, mom called the school. You don't have to take online classes today. Also, Vivi called. She wants to talk to you when you've got a minute."
-
“Oh she did? I’ll have to thank her. And thanks, I’ll call her in a bit!” Al said, still wrapped up in his blanket.
“Please leave though- gotta get dressed!”
-
The gap in the door closed, though somewhere in the background Al could hear Gammamon talking up a storm.
"It was nice to sleep in for a change," mumbled Renamon as she rolled out of bed. "Don't think you're off the hook school-wise, mister. I'll get Eyesmon to send me today's lesson plans so we can go over them."
-
He would give a dramatic groan, but he would chuckle as he gently nudged her with his shoulder. “Fine, fine. Let’s get a shower.. we forgot after that crazy night we had.”
-
"Ooh~" she said. "Guess I'll tidy up, then." The space around her became bathed with illusory fire, burning away to reveal a naked Renee as she curled a finger Al's way. Her true eyes, however, remained. "I might not have to hide anymore," she said. "But bathing's still a lot easier when you're not covered in fur." The shapeshifter then sauntered out, not even batting an eye as an onlooking Gammamon's jaw hit the hallway floor.
-
Al would watch as she transformed.. and his face flushed cinnamon as he saw Renee.. and he would give a bit of a chuckle. "Well.. yeah you make a good point." When she began sauntering out of the bedroom without any clothes though, he would quickly wrap a towel around his waist and hurry after her, apologizing to Gammy as he closed the bathroom door behind them.
"Goddamn lioness," he muttered under his breath, but he couldn't help but smile at Renee.
-
"Lioness. Vixen. What's the difference?" mused Renee. Brushing her hair over her shoulder, she sashayed over to the tub, bending over as she turned the water on.
("Mmmmh, I can still feel you in me,") she thought, bringing an image into Al's mind of her rubbing at her tender folds. ("So much of last night is such a blur...")
-
"With you, they are pretty interchangeable."
Being sure to lock the bathroom door, he would look his lover over as she turned on the faucet.. eyes lingering on her backside for a moment as he came up to join her. That mental image caused him to almost trip at the sudden appearance of it.. but he would compose himself a moment later. ("I might have to help clean you out then. A lot.. a lot happened.")
-
"Mm." The vulpine grew quiet, stepping inside the shower. Her eyes stared into space, her smile failing to reach them. Her focus would return as Al got in the shower with her.
-
And Alemana would gently wrap his arms around her waist, shivering from the water until he got accustomed to it. "Are you okay, Renamon?" He asked, gently moving her hair from her face. "You look like you're thinking about something."
-
"It's nothing," she said. "Sorry about the door. I'm still not sure what happened." Resting her chin atop her tamer's shoulder, she returned Al's embrace, stroking his back with her hands.
-
"Hey, its no big thing baby." He said as he gave her collarbone a kiss as he then reached for a bottle of shampoo. The fact that she didn't know what happened was concerning.. but he wasn't going to bring it up right now. He didn't want to ruin their morning. "Did you have any good dreams, honey?"
-
The shapeshifter chuckled. "Of course. I dreamt that I finally got to introduce myself to my boyfriend's family, and find out they're tamers just like him."
-
That made him laugh as he kissed her nose "Thats wild.. I had the exact same dream about my girlfriend." he said as he began lathering her hair up "It was one of the best dreams I've ever had in my life."
-
Renee cocked an eyebrow. "Oh~?" she said, smiling. "Challenge accepted, little man." The shapeshifter tapped the underside of Al's chin, guiding it forward till their lips pressed in to a fulsome kiss. When at last they broke away, Renee lingered on the teen's eyes, caressing his cheek. "I love you, Alemana..."
-
He held that kiss as long as he could before pulling away, hands framing her face now as his thumbs gently tracing her cheeks as well. He held her gaze for several moments before smiling. “And I love you Renamon. God, do I love you..”
-
The shapeshifter rested her forehead against Al's, basking in the rising warmth of their shower. Steam filled the room, droplets dappling across their features. All the while, still standing where he'd been on seeing Renee, Gammy looked down at the tiny beachball he'd been carrying. The white ceratops stared at the toy, scrutinizing how it bounced back into shape as he squeezed and loosened his grip.
Vivi stared through Al with eyes so dull that light itself dared not venture in. Perhaps for similar reasons, the rest of the group kept their distance.
Renamon scanned the main room of the clubhouse. "An intervention?" she echoed.
"They kicked me out of my crime lab," said Vivi. The ice in her voice could have sapped the life out of an active volcano. "So I'm going with you guys to do some field work."
("What is this aura?") thought Renamon. ("I've never felt such intensity from a human, let alone Vivi.")
Malie stepped forward. "My decree is final!" she said. Out of everyone there, she was the least affected by her fellow tamer's presence. "We'll be the ones on IT duty today!"
"Malie, I love you like family, but I despise everything that just came out of your mouth."
"(You've gotta do this, dude,)" Ike whispered to Al. "(She didn't even go home last night. If Eyesmon didn't agree to back us up, we'd never have gotten her to take a shower!)"
-
(“No kidding, Rena..”)
Even Al felt a chill staring into those eyes, and he would give an uneasy smile as he held up a hand.
“Everyone means well Vivi, they’re just worried that you’re maybe pushing yourself too hard.” He said as he listened to Ike’s whispered plea. Taking a slow breath.. he would tentatively step a little closer to put his hand on her shoulder.
“And I… agree with everyone. You need to take a break Vivi, you’ve been through a lot of shit nonstop the past few days.. you gotta take time to recover.” And he gave a bit of a more sincere smile. “That’s why I wanna take you to that gamer cafe downtown, do you can unwind.. and that’s just the first stop on what me and Renamon are calling ‘Vivian Kamaka’s Day Off’!”
-
Vivi remained stone-faced. "Cool," she said. "We can do all that stuff after we look into some hotspots across town."
"(Just do whatever she says,)" whispered Gazimon from behind his paw. "(Me n' the boss can't take much more of this!)"
Vivi continued. "By the way," she said, her voice causing both Ike and Gaz to flinch. "What happened to Keilani and Gammamon? Is she coming with?"
"Kei said she needed to take care of some errands of her own," said Renamon. "Getting settled back at the house and all."
"Hm."
A sudden surge of shadow arched from behind Vivi. "Who's up for a day OHH-off~!" chimed Eyesmon. The dark dragon was grinning eye-to-thousand-eye as she began rubbing Vivi's shoulders with jagged shadow hands. "How about some bubble tea? I hear those're getting real popular! HEY!! Tomorrow's the first of October! I bet you they got pumpkin spice in stock~!"
"Yeah!" said Malie, greasing his palms. "All the indulgences of a consumer-based economy are yours for the plundering! Don't worry about the computer! We'll take it from here!"
"Y-yeah," said Ike. "How tough could it be, anyway?"
Stonefaced Vivi grunted, remaining stationary.
-
(“I gotcha, gaz.”) Al whispered back as he gently pet the top of his head as he then looked at the group, grinning.
“We’ll look into those hotspots, but when we’re done I wanna see that frown turn upside down, Vivi! This is too nice a day to be cooped up in a dark room.”
It was hard to ignore.. but this sunniness in Alemana hadn’t been truly seen in a long time. Sure there had been days where he was happy, even very happy.. but this unadulterated positivity and joy.. what happened in the half-day since they all split up? Renamon clearly knew- after all she was there last night.. but this information hadn’t been shared with the others yet.
-
If the others noticed Al's demeanor, it didn't show. They were to busy gathering behind Vivi, pushing her towards the door along with him and Renamon.
"Remember to have fun!"
"Don't rush y'selves!"
"Burn it all to the ground~!"
*SLAM* went the door. Funny, Vivian's face remained neutral, still staring in the same direction Al had been prior to following her outside.
"...Bubble tea does sound good right about now," she said.
"That's the spirit!" said Eyes, the dragon diving back into her tamer's shadow. "Operation Vivi Kamaka's Day Off is go!"
-
Al would smile at their friends as he helped them push her out the door.
“Yeah, you’re right Eyes! But first, business. Right Vivi?”
-
The spectacled tamer grunted "Hm," following Al and Renamon to the car.
"Why don't you sit up front?" offered the vulpine, once again disguised as Renee. "I could use the extra space to stretch my legs."
Vivi said nothing as she got to the car door, shuffling inside without a word as the others followed suit. That is, until Al got in the driver's seat.
"You look different," she said.
-
“That’s a good idea, Rena. Yeah, you should sit up here.”
He would get into the drivers seat and start up the car. At her statement, he looked over at her with a puzzled expression. “I do?”
-
Vivi squinted. "Like there's more behind the smile than just selling me on leaving the workplace."
"Of course," said Renee. "After all, we got landed with wonderful news last night."
And with the most neutral tone imaginable, Vivi asked: "Is it a baby?"
-
“Well we learn—“ and his words choked in his throat at that, his face a deep shade of cinnamon. And for a long few moments he just sputtered and half spoke. Eventually he would let out a mortified “No! I mean, I don’t know- I mean—!”
-
The effect was maximized by the fact Eyesmon was having the exact same reaction.
("Breathe, dear,") mused Renee inside Al's head, the shifter smiling as she reclined in her seat. "Keilani, Al and I told their parents the truth," she said aloud.
Vivi's eyes snapped wide open. "You what?"
-
Breathing as she advised, he would nod. “We told them the truth. Kinda had to- I.. had a huge meltdown last night. Like- nuclear. So much so I.. well let’s say I need a new door eventually.” He then laughed.
“But you won’t believe this: mom and dad were tamers too- dad still is actually! And you’ll never guess who his partner is,” he didn’t wait for her to guess.. his giddiness far too powerful to contain.
“MachGaogamon!”
-
Eyesmon's head shot out of the shadows under Vivi's seat as the two shouted "WHAT?!!"
"But how?!" asked Vivi, staring down at her palms. "I tried everything to make contact! Not just with Kuku but every digimon we know back on Waihona!"
Renee nodded. "If what Kuku and Keilani said is true," she said. "It's becoming easier to connect with the Kumulipo Server as the time gap between them closes."
"That still doesn't explain how you managed to get ahold of someone! And now Mach's your dad's partner?!"
"What SHE said!" exclaimed Eyes.
-
“To be fair, the connection was far from perfect.. time is still outta sync. But hey, I’m sure you could easily figure out how to clear up the connection issues!”
-
Eyesmon groaned. "Next you'll be telling us your mom's partner's a Mo'omon."
"Yeah," said Renee. "About that..."
"Of course it is!" snapped Vivi. "That would add up with Mach's story about his friend who got killed by Varamon!"
"Guys?"
"Why didn't we put two and two together?! They've probably got their digivices in a safety deposit box, but it was staring us in the face! God, I feel like such an idiot!"
-
“Vivi? Hey, it’s okay—“ he then looked at Renamon helplessly. (“What’s going on?”)
He then killed the car, and he gently touched her shoulder “Vivi, breathe okay? You’re not an idiot.. hell I’m a way bigger idiot.. I have a goddamn picture of Gaomon in my living room and I never even suspected it was a digimon!”
-
The spectacled tamer threw her head back. "I don't know what to do with this information," she said, rubbing her eyes. "Let's... let's just focus on the hotspots I mentioned."
"Alright, Vivi," said Renee. "We'll take it one step at a time."
Vivian nodded, her shoulders sagging as she took quiet breaths.
"Feeling any better?"
"A little," she said, shaking her head. "Right now, we need to get moving. It's gonna be a busy day."
-
“Not too busy.. it’s your Day Off remember?” Al said, starting the car back up and pulling out of the parking lot.
“Which is first?”
-
"FOOD FIRST!!" hollered Eyesmon. "Can't investigate on an empty stomach! Grab something nice to perk us aaaaalllll up! What do you say?!"
Vivi said nothing, choosing to toss up a limp-wristed hand as she sank into her seat.
[Aight, describe this cyber café for me. ;) ]
-
“Food it is!”
___________
The gaming cafe was pretty self evident- one wall of the shop were various consoles and flat screens set up, along with the other being nothing but computers set up specifically for gaming. And in the middle were over two dozen tables where people could eat, drink, and playfully argue about their hobby at their leisure. Al’s smile was almost ear to ear as they walked into the establishment, looking over at Vivi brightly.
“When was the last time we were here? Your birthday a couple years ago right?”
-
"Oh yeah," said Vivi, her eyes surveying the room. "Has it really been that long?"
"(Yeah!)" whispered Eyesmon. "(Remember? There were a bunch of jabronies playing Ghouls 'n Ghosts and whining how unfair it is.)"
"Heh, that's because GnG is unfair. If you don't make a save state using an emulator, you'll never get close to the end."
"What were we playing back then?" asked Renee.
"I think it was a smorgasbord of whatever people wanted," said Vivi, staring up at the ceiling as she tapped her chin. "I remember... playing Total War: Troy."
"OHHH--that's right!" said Eyes. "What's your favorite unit? You more into historical or mythological?"
"Actually... gorgons. I remember being really good at using gorgons."
"Gorgons?" echoed Renee.
"It's a mythical creature from Greece, with snakes for hair. They could petrify people if they looked them in the eye."
-
Al gave a chuckle as the nostalgic memories hit him, and he gave Renee a little hug “I remember one of the staff hitting on you like crazy while we played.. what did you say to shut him down again? I can’t remember.. but it was super funny!” He said as he then raised an eyebrow
“Gorgons huh? Isn’t that what Hebi-Chan is based off of? It’s a really cool idea.”
-
"Mhm, I told him that if he wanted to hook up so bad, he should do it while his girlfriend supervisor isn't standing right behind him."
Vivian blinked. "He was hitting on you?"
"Snake ladies are cool," said Eyes, her smirk manifesting in Vivi's shadow. "Everyone knows it~"
Renee chuckled. "Aren't gorgons supposed to be ugly, though?"
"YOU SHUT YOUR DA--!!"
"Shhh!" said Vivi, putting a finger to her lips. Indeed, fellow patrons were starting to look the group's way. "Let's find us a table. Could go for a snack." Finding a space, Renee went to grab food and drinks while Al, Vivi, and Eyes settled in. The spectacled tamer laid forward onto the table, resting her chin atop her arms as she stared into the middle distance. "Sorry for being real thorny today," she said. "You guys didn't deserve that."
-
Al laughed as he kissed her cheek.. and he caught sight of the very same guy staring at them with a look of disbelief and mild jealousy (“Speaking of,”) he said.. showing her his perspective.
But when Vivi apologized as they sat down, he gently pat her hand “I’ve been pretty prickly lately too.. I’m not gonna hold it against ya Viv.”
-
The spectacled tamer let out a sigh. "I'm really happy for you and Rena," she said. "Getting your parents on board must be like a shot in the arm, right?"
"It is," said Renee. Al and Vivi glanced up as the shapeshifter began handing out snacks. "Though I wouldn't recommend using our strategy."
Vivian smiled, grabbing a bag of chips just to slip it under the table for Eyesmon. "My mom's been working nonstop since what happened at my school. Especially after I got out of the hospital. It's hard not to feel bad when everyone else's working. Even if it's not your fault or outside of your control."
-
Al would nod along with Renamon, grimacing as he thought about what happened. “We could’ve handled that better.” He said with a laugh. He then sighed as well
“You’ve been the most helpful out of all of us lately, if anything we should be sorry for putting so much pressure on you Vivi..”
-
"There's just so much information," she said, cracking open a soda. "Eyes' the only reason I can keep up. Without her I'd be bogged down; sifting through garbage data for anything useful. You'd think having strong leads would make things more streamlined, but it just exposes how much you don't know." Vivi took several gulps of her drink, gasping as she finished. "It wouldn't suck so much if we weren't on a timer."
-
“Oh trust me, I know.. been fighting with that for five years,” he then took a drink as well. “You’ll get it tho: you guys are way better than us when it comes to computer stuff!”
It stung to admit, but true!
-
"Isn't your dad a programmer?" mused Renee. "Clearly you need to up your game, hon."
-
“Shush, foxy,” he said with a laugh
-
As the two chuckled and laughed, Vivian pulled out a map of Hilo from her pocket. Fully unfolded, she had to let half of it slide off the table from sheer size.
"These are the spots I was talking about," she said, pointing to the sections circled in red. "They each correlate to information centers important to what makes Kukui Kukui. I'm hoping to find INAS there that we can examine using Kuku's program. If we're lucky, we can get enough info to decide which one is closest to where Kukui would be in the Net - and from there - try to open a way through."
Renee paused. "Open a way through?" she echoed, leaning forward.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to tear it open all willy-nilly."
"That's not what I mean. When did you learn you even could open an INAS?"
"Last night. Using Kuku's program along with Theridia's intel and what we already know, it should be possible. Right?"
-
Looking over the map after Vivi explained her plan, his Brow furrowed in thought. “Are you sure this is safe? Have you tested the program yet?”
-
"No," said Vivi. "That's why I wanna give these a ground-level once over. If it's remote enough - and not connected to critical infrastructure - I wanna try it out. Otherwise we're gonna have to risk moving through the Network."
"I didn't realize that was an option," said Renee, glancing at Al. "If we asked Catch, would they be able to open up a path inside the node?"
A raspberry sounded underneath the table. "That's not how it works, furball," said Eyesmon. "Sure, Catchy can open a door leading outside, but that's like jumping into the Pacific Ocean. Net space is BIG. Even for a pro like moi."
-
Alemana would drop a piece of his pastry into Vivi’s shadow to pacify her for a moment as he thought it over.
“Well I’m in… but you gotta take it easy okay? No unnecessary risks.. don’t want you to turn into me.” He joked.
-
A silent chuckle played across Vivian's face, but her eyes remained fixed upon the map. She took another sip of her drink before crushing the can. "We've got twelve possible locations," she said. "Let's get to work."
Working alongside her, the others set up a car route; prioritizing hotspots closest to the café and those that would be unavailable to the public at later hours. Many of the locations were inside or around parks, but also included museums related to Hawaiian culture. A music hall, a hotel, a community center; each had a distortion tucked away somewhere, requiring Renamon and Eyes to find it. From there, Vivi would get Al to cross-examine the INAS with her, using their digivices to pick up data they'd then send over to Eyesmon. Simple as it sounded, there was a lot of ground to cover, even with a ninja fox and a living shadow on the team.
Vivi sighed, sinking into her seat in the car. On the screen of her laptop, the map of Hilo was a mess of notes written down using a digital paint tool.
"We've narrowed it down to two," she said. "The Reef Discovery Center, and the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo."
"How did you decide?" asked Renee, the shapeshifter looking over the tamer's shoulder.
"Both of them are related to a lot of Kukuimon's core data, and have a strong wifi-presence compared to the others. Their INAS presence is also strong, meaning they'll be the easiest to open up."
-
Even Al’s positivity and enthusiasm seemed to be somewhat diminished once they finally narrowed it down to these two sites.. they did some good work, he couldn’t deny that.. but every time they failed to find Kukuimon made him ever so increasingly anxious.
“Do you really think he’ll be at one of them?” He asked, giving his partner’s neck a quick kiss as he turned to look at Vivi as well.
-
Vivi adjusted her glasses. "There's enough of a chance that it's worth a shot," she said. "I can't let Kukui or Malie down."
Renee rested a hand on the girl's shoulder. "We can't," she said. Vivian paused, her eyes meeting the shapeshifter's gaze.
"Right," she said. "Sorry, that's what I meant."
An umbral tendril wrapped around Vivi's hand. "We know," said Eyesmon, her violet-colored namesake blinking into existence along along her tamer's shadow. "And we're gonna do it together!"
"Still leaves us with the question," said Vivi. "Which site should we go for? I thought about splitting the group into two teams, but I dunno, that might be risky. Especially if CODE is watching."
"Agreed," said Renee. "We still don't know what'll happen when we try accessing the INAS. Activating two at once will only escalate CODE's interest in the area."
-
Al wouldn’t be left out , gently giving her a hug “You’re definitely not letting anyone down.” He would then think about that before sighing slightly.
“Let’s try the zoo first. He may be a cute fishy as a baby.. but I think the jungle might be more fitting to what he is over all.”
-
Vivi allowed herself a small smile, returning her fellow tamer's hug. "Fair enough," she said. "The zoo's INAS is just over the fence from the parking lot, near the water garden. That'll give us plenty of room to work."
"Security'll be noooo problem," snickered Eyes. "I'll make sure the cameras are looping footage, and guards off site."
"That's good," said Renee. "Once the coast's clear, I can carry Al and Vivi over the fence. Assuming we're doing this after dark."
-
“After dark would be a good idea.. fewer people who might see us.”
He then mentally kicked himself “maybe we should’ve brought Malie..”
-
"There's still time before sundown," said Vivi. "We can call her and pick her up if you think it'll help."
-
“I think she should be here with us.. if Kukuimon really is in the INAS, his partner should be there for him..”
And he would quickly dial Malie
-
Booop... booop... booop...
Before even a voice could be heard, there came the clattering, shuffling, and scraping of activity. "++Aloha++" came Malie's voice, though the background noise failed to die away. "++Lord Bucketmon and Associates Incorporated, how can I help you?++"
-
“Hey I-“ he then paused as he heard the commotion in the background.
“You guys redecorating the clubhouse or something? Doesn’t matter- Malie I think we narrowed down where Kukuimon is!”
-
"++Really?! Where is he?!++" Again, the noise persisted, only this time there was audible shushing, maybe even some cussing if Al strained his ear hard enough. "++Just a sec++" said Malie, before Al heard her shout. "++SHUT UP!!++" and silence all else. "++Sorry about that. You were saying?++"
-
“Well we think he’s—“ he then winced as Malie yelled at.. whoever was in the background- probably Gaz and Ike- and he rubbed his ear for a moment
“First: ow. Second… we think he’s at the zoo! We were gonna swing by and get you…”
-
"++The ZOO?!++" echoed Malie. "++I'll get ready asap, and meet you outside!++" Just before she hung up, the shrill beeping of a fire alarm echoed, along with the banging of metal and rapid shouting.
("...I'm sure it's nothing,") thought Renee, the shapeshifter avoiding eye-contact with Vivi and Eyesmon.
-
“Uh right..” and he hung up
“Well.. let’s go gang-!”
-
Neither Vivi nor Eyes looked away from Al as the athlete started up the car. And though Renee kissed his cheek, the anxiety was felt between tamer and 'mon - of whether the clubhouse would still be standing when they made it back.
CHAPTER COMPLETED
Secrets Gone Awry! +2 EXP +2 DP
Thread of Inquiry! +1 EXP +2 Inspiration
Feral Hunger! +1 EXP +1 Inspiration
Two Worlds' Ohana +2 EXP +1 DP +3 Inspiration
Total: 6 EXP, +3 DP, + 6 Inspiration!