Malkavian Madness Network
Other Systems => Digimon: Digital Adventures => Topic started by: MrParaduo on June 19, 2023, 05:58:15 PM
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A steady pulse. A gentle sound. Warm was the darkness that blanketed everything, yet all the same did Kukuimon stir. The pulse became a hum as the piglet cracked open his eyes, the darkness fading. He could see light, a campfire? The piglet could see no smoke nor smell it in the air.
"Where… am I?" he thought aloud. He felt pressure to one side of him, and realized he was laying on the ground. As he blinked away the sleep from his eyes, he saw the light was shaped like a funnel pointing upward. At times he could make out transparent pixels rise then sink back into the light, guiding his attention towards the summit several feet above him. There, an object hung motionless. An effigy whose features the Digimon couldn't make out, though in the glow, the faintest hints of green painted an otherwise dull grey crystal.
"Who are you?" asked Kukuimon, before the oblivion of sleep overcame him once more.
…
Renamon sat on the bed, her back against the headboard. Arm resting on an upturned knee. Her eyes were downcast as Alemana entered the room.
"I lost control," she said.
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Al would enter the bedroom and close the door behind him. As he turned around to talk to her, he would raise an eyebrow. Crawling up onto the bed, he would slide up next to his partner and gently draped an arm over her shoulder. “What’s that, babe?”
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The vulpine clenched her paw into a fist, "I near beat a man to an inch of his life," she said. "One minute everything's fine, the next you're gone and the agent's moving towards the arcade. After that, I..." she shook her head. "It's all a red haze."
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Al was quiet for several seconds when Renamon spoke, his mouth moving for a moment as he tried to find his voice. “What..?” He quietly asked, his arm on her shoulder becoming more rigid. She attacked Sunglasses? She nearly beat him to death? This took him by complete shock. “You didn’t.. you didn’t attack him as Renee or yourself.. did you?”
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"No," she said. "Thank the 'Akua. I already had a disguise in mind if I had to confront him. I know I asked him questions, and I know I forced him to give me answers. I broke the earpiece he was wearing, and made sure a couple passing by found him before I left the scene. He should be in a hospital by now. I took money out of his wallet to make it look like a mugging, but left it on the ground somewhere. Didn't feel right keeping it."
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“Okay.. okay,” Al said as he would then gently cup her face so she would look at him. “I’m glad that you didn’t use a face that could be tracked back to us.. that’s some smart thinking. But.. did he threaten you at least before you hurt him? Pull a weapon on you?” He asked.. and she could feel his anxiety as he talked.. a very sick anxiousness as he pondered what her answer would be. He said that he was glad.. but she could feel that he wasn’t being fully sincere. There was a fear there.. uncertainty.
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Renamon said nothing. Through their shared connection, Al's emotions was reflected back at him, his partner's anguish, her shame. She took his hand into her paw, holding it as she lay her forehead against his.
("What's happening to me?") she thought. ("Why am I shaking?")
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Al would gently squeeze her paw as he rest his forehead against hers.. and he felt himself shaking as well. (“I don’t know.. but it’s okay, I know it will-“) be even as he was saying this, images flashed in his mind, and an old fear Welled up inside him that he couldn’t hide. He didn’t mean to do this, hadn’t thought of these memories for years.. but both He and Renamon could see flashes of flailing, stained, whip-like tails.. and a mangled Myomaromon getting beaten into a horrific, broken pulp…
Worst of all? Renamon could feel Alemana unconsciously connect these gruesome memories to a mental image he had regarding what she said she did to the agent, how she lost herself and beat him within an inch of his life… along with a quick, lightning flash of a lurid, sadistic and too-wide smile. Was that what he saw? He saw Renamon in that same light..?
This wasn’t lost on him, and he quickly would take hold of her shoulders.
“Renamon.. baby look at me. No, no that’s not what I think..!”
There was truth there.. but the fear was still in his mind that tainted it with unintentional uncertainty.
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The vulpine was looking at him. Her eyes wide and unblinking as they stared back. Mental static flooded Al's mind, scratching, tapping at the inside of his skull. And all throughout, there was silence - stunned silence - between them. Renamon motioned to speak, but the words died in her throat. Over and over again.
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Al felt a great pain in both his head and his heart, and his eyes began to tear up as he hugged her “Renamon.. I love you. None of this is your fault…” he said.. and he repeated, her face in his hands “You aren’t her baby.. you’re you, and I love you so.. so much..!”
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Trembling paws rose up, embracing the teen. "Stop," she said, her voice growing hoarse. "I-I can't... I can't stand seeing you cry, Al...!"
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“I don’t want you to think that I- I’m scared of you Rena..!” He said as he hugged her back, his tears now flowing down his cheeks as he hid his face in her chest.
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"But you are," she said, struggling to keep her composure. "If not of me then for me. It hasn't even been a week yet, and the stress of it all is mounting up."
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Those words cut deep, deeper than he expected. He was afraid.. but it was.. not as clear cut as what she was saying. His grip on her tightened as he looked up at her, eyes blurry. “I- I’m scared… but I’m scared that you’ll run away like Kukuimon.. or something worse happening!” He said, hugging her even more tightly. “It feels like .. it feels like something is wrong with us..”
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"Shhh," whispered Renamon, stroking the back of Al's head. "Sh-shhh..."
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And he wouldn’t say anything.. he simply buried his head into her neck.. his tears reselling into her fur for a moment. And they just lay there for a few minutes. His fingers gently combing through the fur on her back. After awhile though.. he would then gently take hold of one of her shoulder tuffs. “What.. what did you get from him, baby girl..?”
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"Huh? Oh, the agent." Closing her eyes, Renamon steadied her breathing. "His wallet had a government ID," she said. "It labeled him as part of 'The Commission of Observation for Digital Extrapolation.' I haven't gotten around to looking any deeper than that."
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“…CODE?” Al asked. It was almost funny, that acronym.. whoever these people were, someone at the top had a sense of humor. Al would gently pet Renamon in a soothing manner.. and he would softly kiss one of her ears. “You did good.. I’m proud of you Renamon.” Though there was still a painful ache shared between them.. that praise was genuine, and a warmth emanated from him to her.
They finally had a name to put to the shadowy “Them” that had plagued his thoughts for the past five years.. and now he felt a sense of renewed purpose- one that was palpable to his partner. Sitting up a bit more, he would gently stroke his partner’s face. His lover’s face. That fear wasn’t gone.. but it was much diminished.
“Let’s find Kukuimon.. and then go after this CODE.”
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Renamon nodded. "One step at a time," she said, a smile crossing her face. Taking Al's hand, she returned his kiss, only for a knock at the door to draw both their attention away.
"Hey guys?" came Ike's voice. "Everything alright in there?"
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Kissing her again, he would then glance at the door, wiping at his eyes
“Everything is okay, we will be out in a sec.”
That wasn’t true.. but hopefully they would start to get better. After all, now they had a way to properly deal with the anomalies. After all… now they knew who was trying to understand and control the Digital World.
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...
Back in the main room of the clubhouse, the TV was hooked up to a laptop computer that Eyesmon had set up on the coffee table. On both screens was live feed of Vivi from the waist up.
"Hey guys," she said. "Sorry I couldn't make it in person. My parents won't let me go out until tomorrow. But, I'm back now! Got my digivice and heard everything from Eyes about the arcade!"
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“It’s okay Vivi, what’s important is that you’re safe and sound!” Al said as he lounged on the couch- one arm draped over Ike’s shoulder, the other snug around Renamon’s waist.
“Things have just been crazy all day so far.. but hopefully with Eyes help we will be able to find Kukui and get him back to Malie ASAP.” Al said.. and he then sighed. “But in the meantime.. since we have ahold of ya- I am bringing it up. Keilani is moving back in with us tomorrow.. and all this shit regarding the INAS and those people dropping comatose has me kinda,” and he then paused.
“No, not kinda.. absolutely terrified that Kei might be targeted. We’ve suspected that she might have been.. or still is a Tamer.. but I’ve never tried to confront her out of not knowing if we could trust her. But in light of everything that’s happened, I don’t think we have the luxury of dancing around the issue anymore. But since it’s not just mine and Renamon’s livelihoods on the line.. I figure we should vote on it as a team.” He took another breath as he looked at his friends, his face somber.
“Do we risk telling her that we know that she went to the digital world… and should we try to invite her into the team?”
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Vivi adjusted her glasses. "Wow," she said. "Yeah, no matter how you slice it, either choice is a double-edged sword. One one hand, if she IS a tamer, leaving her out of the loop'd put her at risk of getting caught. And we could really use the extra pair of hands."
From Gazimon's place on the beanbag chair, the chimera frowned. "But what if she ain't?" he asked. "I mean, ain't she been out'a town this whole time? What if she's actually in cahoots with 'you-know-what'?"
"The Commission of Observation for Digital Extrapolation," said Renamon. "Aka CODE. It's what I was able to glean from our agent friend."
"CODE?" echoed Malie. "But if Keilani was working for the feds, wouldn't they have done a background check on her whole family before bringing her on?"
"That's a good point," said Vivi. "What do you think, Al?"
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Alemana would listen to everyone’s reasoning, and he hugged Renamon a bit tighter.
“Gazimon and Malie both make valid points.. and that’s why I’m still hesitant. If we call this the wrong way.. we’re fucked. But if Kei is not involved with CODE and we say nothing to her.. she’s potentially fucked. Either way.. someone is fucked in this situation…” and he would look down.
“But at the same time.. she’s my sister. I have to hope that maybe, just maybe.. she’d choose us and help us save Lonomon and Waihona. So let’s put it to vote. Who thinks we should stay quiet?”
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The others exchanged looks with one another. None were quick to raise their hand, but after Gazimon motioned his paw up, Ike would follow, along with Eyes.
"That's three," said Vivi. "All in favor of taking the risk?"
In unison, Renamon raised her paw along with Malie and Vivi.
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A tie.. of course. He would look about the faces of his friends, human and digimon, and he felt his heart clench a bit. It was up to him.. and he was terrified of what everyone would say or think depending on his vote. But he had to hold fast to his conviction. He said that he had to hold out hope that his sister could be trusted.. if he backpedaled.. it would show that he didn’t truly believe that. It would undermine his integrity… put doubt in his friends. If he wasn’t even sure of a vote that he himself suggested.. what else would he falter at in the future? With a breath, he would raise his hand alongside Malie, Renamon, and Vivi.
“Four to three. That settles it then.. we tell her tomorrow.”
He just prayed that this decision wouldn’t stab them in the back.
-
[Gain +1 Inspiration]
Sighing, Ike let his head hang back. "A vote's a vote," he said. "So how do we wanna do this? Get her alone and talk it out?"
"I'm not sure having everyone there would be the best way to go about it," said Renamon. "It'd probably be best if Al and I broke her in. At least initially."
"Finding out her little bro's dating a digimon," chuckled Eyes. "Can't wait to see how that turns out."
"Hmph, Keilani has been nothing but a friend to Renee. I don't see why we wouldn't get along."
"Even though you're a fox?" asked Gazimon.
"Especially because I'm a fox."
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Al would softly lean in and give Ike’s neck a soft kiss, giving him a hug “Its gonna be okay Ike, I promise.” He said as he looked at Renamon and Eyesmon “I have to agree with Rena, it should be me and her first, so we can judge which way the wind is blowing. That way if something goes wrong, we can help you guys establish plausible deniability.”
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"That's a good idea," said Vivi. "Maybe the rest of us can stand by at the clubhouse tomorrow for further developments. If nothing else, we can look into finding Kukuimon using the new intel everyone found."
"Works for me," said Ike, though the blond was busy adjusting his pants as Al kissed him. "Right Gaz?"
"Sure thing, boss. Beats sittin' around at the house all day."
("Should we tell them about what happened?") thought Renamon inside Al's mind. ("About the agent and what I did?")
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“Yeah, that’s a good idea guys, that should work fine.” Al said, looking at Ike and hiding a smile at his reaction. At Renamon’s question-
(“Let’s keep that between us, babe..”)
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("...Understood.")
"I'm gonna get started on studying Kuku's message and program," said Vivi. "Is there anything else we need to go over?"
"How about lunch?" asked Eyesmon.
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(“We will tell them later, when things are calmer.”)
“Sounds good. Me and Rena probably have to leave for a little bit to help mom and dad though.”
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"Pomaikia'i," said Malie, smiling. "We'll be rooting for you guys!"
As the meeting adjourned, Renamon would turn back into Renee as she and Alemana left the apartment. She took his hand, keeping her eyes on the path ahead as they walked to the teen's car.
("So,") she thought as they got inside the vehicle. ("We're finally doing it. We're going to tell Keilani the truth.")
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That made him smile “Thanks, let me know when Eyes gets that tracker thing finished, okay?”
And as he waved goodbye and walked to the car with Renee, he would squeeze her hand.
(“Yeah.. it’s gonna be nerve wracking.”) he quietly chuckled. (“But not as stressful as the thought of her walking in on us after a long night of- well you know.”)
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Renee smiled as she gave the teen a side-long glance. ("Oh~? You don't find it fun like I do~? The look on your face is always so adorable.")
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(“I would.. if it wasn’t my family,”) Al retorted as he gave her shoulder a nudge with his own as he then said aloud.
“Do you want to go eat before we go back home?”
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"Mhmhm, depends on the menu," she said, winking.
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“Oh? Well what’s my vixen in the mood for?” He asked, a smile on his face.
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Turning in her seat, Renee stared at Al with narrow eyes. Perfect poise came to her as she leaned forward, her lips crashing against his. ("You think you can tease me like that?") she thought, slender fingers caressing her tamer's cheek. ("Give your boy toy all that attention right when I'm sitting next to you?")
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He had just gotten his seatbelt on when she leaned forward, catching his lips in a kiss that caught him by surprise… not that he was complaining.
(“C-c’mon.. alls fair right? You tease me just as bad,”) he said as his hands gently held onto her face, thumbs gently rubbing her cheeks.
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("Wanna bet~?") A rush of heat swelled from the shapeshifter as she ravished her quarry, her hands slipping behind Alemana's shoulders to embrace him, crush him against her bosom.
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(“Hey now, is the car the place you wanna-“) he was then interrupted by the sensation of that heat crashing into him followed by a getting pulled into her chest. Apparently she didn’t want to wait until they were somewhere more private..!
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("Barely gotten a moment alone with you all morning!") she thought. ("Like hell if we'll get the chance back the house!")
Pushing down on the teen, Renee continued her onslaught, her baited breath filling Al's lungs as she mewled between each kiss. Without turning away, she turned the AC up to full blast before pulling the lever next to Al's seat, and forcing him onto his back.
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(“I know, and I’m so sorry baby! L-let’s make it up to you now then..!”) and he would return her kisses as best as he was able.. his hands quickly clapping down on her ass as she got atop of him.. pushing his seat as far down as she could. In hindsight this was obviously going to happen.. Renamon - no.. both of them had on more than one occasion gone at it like wild dogs after a particularly high stress day. Whatever it was.. adrenaline seemed to be a major catalyst for their libido.
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Renee crooned as Al groped her rear, leaning into his hands as she threw her head back. Panting, she tugged at the collar of her shirt, showing off her cleavage to her now ensnared partner. Unable to bear waiting, she dove back in, this time nipping at Alemana's neck before licking just above his collarbone.
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Al would groan.. and as she attacked his neck with kisses.. his hands would try to pull her top up her torso..even though it was just an illusion. “Fuck.. Rena…!”
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In an instant, upon being freed from her body, the top was ingulfed in illusory green-and-pink flame. Now the shapeshifter's breasts hung over the teen's face as Renee slammed her palms to either side of Al's head.
"Is it hot in here?" she huffed. "Or am I bringing the heat~?"
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His face grew a deep cinnamon as she let him take off that ephemeral top, and his hand would now gently begin kneading her breasts as he gave a muffled laugh “I-o think it’s both, babe..~”
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Chuckling, Renee shifted from side-to-side, bumping her breasts against Al's cheeks as the teen near made her swoon. She began to grind on her tamer, pushing against his loins as she bit her lip.
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And he would playfully kiss at her chest when she did that, and he would awkwardly try to unbuckle his seatbelt “care.. to help me get these off..?”
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"Thought you'd never ask." Sitting back up, the vulpine unlocked the seatbelt before slipping a hand down Alemana's pants. She kept her eyes locked on Al's, a smirk on her face as she traced the edge of his bulge. Leaning closer to him, she cupped the teen's package, slipping it over the elastic band to press up against her groin.
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The Hawaiian would bite his lip as she did so.. and she felt his bulge throb against her hands.. and once it was free he would gently pull her down again and gave her a kiss “We are gonna get in so much trouble if someone sees us fucking in here..~”
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"Heheh, never been in jail before," she said. "Wonder if they'd let us share a cell together." Renee then unzipped her shorts, her lower lips kissing at Al's cock even as she smothered his mouth with her own.
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"Mmm.. I don't know if that's a thing.. oh god.." he muttered as he felt her folds press against him. Squeezing her backside while they kissed, he would gently rub his crown against her. "But I bet that you'd try to sneak into mine ll the same.."
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"Mmph~! You know me so well," she said, her thighs quivering as she arched her back inwards. Her folds teased at her lover's tip, Renee sliding down the side before rising again to kiss its peak. Staring back at her tamer with half-lidden eyes, she licked her lips as she slipped her hands under Al's shirt, stroking his pecs with the ball of her thumbs.
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"I-I would hope so," Al said with a smirk, before giving a small hitch of breath as she finally decided to tease him just a bit more. "Playing with you f-food huh?" He jokingly asked.. his hands now sliding up her back as he pulled her forward for another kiss.. pressing up against her entrance a bit more forcefully now.
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The shapeshifted gasped out a chuckle, her lips brushing deeper against his as she closed her eyes and breathed deep through her nose. Slipping a hand back down towards Al's groin, she cradled his package, fondling it, feeling the weight and girth before tracing her fingers up towards the shaft. Scepter in hand, she guided the crown through her doorway. Warmth wrapped itself around Al's cock, smooth and soft to his rock hard length. Even inch made his girl shake just a little more, her love bites growing more voracious as she nipped her way down the side of his face and towards his shoulder.
("So big,") she thought, her mind filling Al's with a warm haze.
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Feeling her swallow him like this, the intense warmth from her core.. the sudden flood of their shared sensation.. Al couldn’t keep his voice from breaking out. Moaning - almost yelling into her neck as she sunk down to his base. “Renee.. No.. Renamon..!” He hissed.. arms now locked around her. Even without that sensory feedback.. Renamon was always much warmer than Ike, and it was.. wild.
“Fuck me, sis,” he muttered.. not really catching what he said.
-
As if a lighthouse piercing through the mental fog, Renee's mind went blank, only for the heated bliss to reassert itself over her. "You're in-incorrigible," she huffed, squirming to push Alemana deeper inside her slit, the walls of her insides squeezing at the tamer's throbbing manhood. "Wh-what would Keilani say, hah...! Ah...!"
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“I.. I don’t know what she’d think..” Al said with a groan.. and after a moment he bucked his hips upwards…punching up into her a bit more forcefully. “But I think I-I- said I want you to fuck me, Renamon..~”
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The shapeshifter grinned, and with sudden vigor, she clenched her innards as she pulled up from Al's meat. So tight was her pull as she neared the tip, so close to slipping off as to give Al fear, yet at the last second she fell back down to the root. The jolt that raced through every nerve-ending in Alemana's loins, the white flash of heat, was magnified ten fold when Renee lifted herself back up. Cool air slammed and wrapped around the flaming hot rod - the surface flesh made slippery from Renee's innards, only to end up resleeved as she pulled off a perfect reenactment.
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“God-!!” Al was taken aback from just how much control she had over her lower body for her to grip him
So fiercely, and his head would look back when she dropped back into his lap only to do it again..!
“Yes.. yes! Fuck yes Rena..! Don’t you dare take it easy! We’re gonna fuck all this pain away —!”
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Renee kept at, shuddering as cold air was pumped into her ahead of the shaft, just to heat back up as she pulled up tight. All the while her eyes were fixed on Alemana's, not her human ones, her true silver-blue over blacks. There was a wildness to them, a hunger, the intensity bordering on manic. She picked up the pace, pulling and pushing without missing a beat, just to slow down again when Al seemed close to release. The moment he thought he could relax, she fired back up, grinding and pumping as she groped her breasts. Digging her nails into them as silent laughter escaped from her.
("More,") she thought. ("MORE...!!")
-
Those eyes.. they caused a surge of adrenaline to flood his body as he felt her manic , burning NEED for him.. for this.. and that Carnel hunger was alighting in his own chest. He would dig his fingers into the meat of her ass as he felt his balls clench.. but he desperately tried to hold back from cumming as he moved his hips along with her.. slamming up into his lover as hard as he could- he wanted more of her.. more of this feeling too..!
(“You’re mine.. fucking.. MINE!”)
-
Trapped in a feedback loop, Renee licked the canines of her teeth before letting her tongue hang. Bestial groans emanated as she licked the tips of her teats, only to pounce on her partner, her clit swallowing Al's shaft, refusing to budge even an inch!
"MINE!!" she said, her grin threatening to split from ear to ear.
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Watching her lick at her own breasts and with a sudden smack of her hips against his pelvis caused him to arch his back.. and sadly he couldn’t hold back “Rena…!” He gasped out- and she could feel a spurt of heavy seed! “Fuuuuck..!”
-
The digimon matched her tamer's rising crescendo, feeding Alemana her own sensory input as she burst all across his groin. The thunderous orgasm sent her trembling, her arms falling limp at her sides as she spasmed with dick still inside her.
"Fff...f-f-fuck!" she breathed. She fell forward, landing flat on top of her lover, twitching.
-
That frazzled Alemana’s mind a bit, and forced his overstimulated cock to spurt again. Panting and shaking.. he would hold onto his partner for dear life as their conjoined high slowly ebbed away. “Oh my god Babe.. you’re amazing..”
-
"Nnh?" A quiet grunt came from Renee as she lay there, eyes fluttering as her breathing grew steady, if labored. "Must... must've overdone it," she said, touching her forehead. A small smile made its way back to her face as she looked at Al. "You feeling half as dizzy as me?" she asked, pulling herself closer to his face.
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“I feel.. yeah I do feel dizzy baby..” and he would kiss her nose, then her lips as he ran a hand through those wild gold lockes “But I loved every second~”
-
The shapeshifter lost herself in Alemana's eyes, caressing his cheek before pressing her lips to his. ("How long do you think we can lay here like this?") she thought. ("Can you even drive after a session like this?")
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(“I.. I think we should let here for a moment.. I don’t wanna Risk us getting into a crash. Heh.. it felt like you were gonna burn my brain..~”)
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("It felt like that for me, too,") she thought, again nursing her forehead. ("Must be dehydrated. We should grab some water once we get back home.")
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(“Yeah that’s a good idea.”) He kissed her again, a breathless chuckle leaving him. (“Did it.. feel different this time? More intense..?”)
-
("Yeah... then again, we've been under a lot of pressure. Perhaps we just needed to get a lot more out this time.")
A moment's unease fell over the vulpine. Little more than a blip between her and Al. Shaking her head, Renee's thoughts cleared, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking.
-
(“Yeah… you’re probably right baby. I love you,”) he said as he hugged her. After a few minutes he would give her cheek a kiss (“I think I can drive us..”)
-
Renee nodded. Illusory flames burned away at the space around which her clothes had been, as if eating away at a layer of invisibility, revealing new clothes over her body. From there, the shapeshifter and her partner got back in their seats, Renee glancing out the window as she put on her seatbelt. Her attention fell on her reflection in the side-view mirror. Somehow, the way the shade fell across her features, it made her avert her gaze from it for the rest of the drive.
...
Early the next day.
"You're already here?!" said Noa. "I thought you said your plane wasn't due till 1:20!"
Such was the news Al got from Renamon after overhearing the teen's father on the phone. Even had she let him sleep in, Alemana was awoken by the sound of Cashew barking at Noa.
"Hold on! We'll be right over! Wh-! Well cancel the cab! We're coming!"
("-And that's when your father burnt the eggs,") thought Renamon, the vulpine sitting with arms folded in front of Al as he sat up in bed. ("Fortunately, the house isn't on fire, but him and your mother are scrambling to get ready.")
-
And this as something that Al, for better or worse, was unaware of that shadow as they returned home.
___
Sitting up, and gently petting her muzzle, he would sleepily chuckle “Well.. that’s Keilani for you.. always keeping us on our toes”
-
The vulpine smiled, her composure unbroken even as Noa roared from outside the room "AL, GET DRESSED!! WE'RE PICKING UP YOUR SISTER!!"
Before Al knew it, he was inside the family van, his father driving like a bat out of hell. Even Renamon had to brace herself whenever they turned a corner, the invisible fox pushing her paws against the ceiling and doorframe.
"This was NOT how today was supposed to go!" said Noa.
"Dear," said Jen, hand on her husband's shoulder. "This isn't a race. She's just early."
"We're were going to show up at the airport as a family! Surprise her with a fruit basket and everything!"
"Did you remember the fruit basket?"
"DAMMIT!!"
The neighboring car blasted its horn as Noa caught himself at the last minute, driving back into his lane.
-
Al would give her a kiss, even as his dad yelled at him to get dressed.
(“At least he didn’t walk in on us,”) he joked as he got dressed and piled into that car.
And once they were on the road, Al would sneakily hold Renamon’s paw as he tried to avoid focusing on his fathers crazy driving.
“I don’t think Kei would appreciate it if we got arrested for reckless endangerment—“
-
The teen was cut off as they made another sharp turn, the shrieking of rubber against tarmac snapping the last bit of sleep from everyone.
Deadpan, Jen smacked the back of Noa's head. "Stop," she said. On impact, the man deflated, sighing as he eased off the pedal. If only just a little.
Hilo's international airport could be heard long before it was seen. The sound of blue helicopters as they flew overhead, the roaring thunder of jet engines taking off. For a brief moment, it brought back memories of MachGaogamon. And then came the sudden shift from buildings and trees as directly across the road was the flattest open plain in Hilo. From the outside, the main structure of the airport wasn't anything grandiose, but it made up for it in the welcoming atmosphere of its interior. At first it seemed like everyone would have to park and head inside, but then Al saw a figure waiting besides the main door and shuttle bus.
[Alright, describe Keilani, mah dood. ;) ]
-
Al would sigh in relief when he eased up, and he gently squeezed his lovers paw (“Well there we go.. we lived,”) and he would look about the pick up and parking area. “Do you think she’s inside still?” He asked out loud- only to answer his question.
She hadn’t changed hardly at all even five years later, though he had to admit she was much less tomboyish these days. For one, she was wearing a bright orange shirt and a green-blue skirt that reached her ankles, showing off.. kicks? Well alright, it seemed that she hadn’t given up her tomboy nature entirely. Hefting a large duffel bag over one shoulder and dragging a suitcase behind her, Keilani was walking straight for the van.
Rolling down his window, Al would have a bright smile on his face. “Look at you sis.. who’re you dressing up for?” He teased.
-
"Your maker, smartass," said Keilani, the girl smirking as she waved towards their parents.
"Keilani!" cheered Jen, rolling down her window. "Welcome home, sweetie! Al, help your sister with the bags!"
But Noa was already stepping out of the car. "Don't worry about it!" he said. "Dad's got it under control!"
"Haa, you sped through traffic again, didn't you," said Keilani.
"Nahhh, no I didn't."
"Yes you did," said Jen through the side of his mouth.
"Eh, yeah, I did."
Still unseen, Renamon motioned out of the way as Keilani climbed inside, the vulpine sitting behind Al as his sister took her old seat.
"Sup, you dweeb," chuckled Keilani. "You get outta bed yourself, or did they have to use the shovel?"
"Woah, geez!" said Noa. "Kei, you lug this stuff through security all by yourself?"
"Yessir~! Got half of everything I own packed in there. Would've cost waaaaay too much to ship over with the rest of my stuff."
-
“Gross.. that’s your maker too, Kei!” Al shot back, a smirk on his face as his sister got into the van just as Renamon moved. In truth, he was incredibly happy to see her again, and his mood was indeed very light.. but the results of the groups vote hung in the back of his mind. Still, once she was buckled in he would nudge his sister “I got myself out for once. Mom and dad kinda learned not to just barge in this week.” He said in a joking manner.
-
"Oh yeah? Did they catch you with Renee again?"
"Kei!" said Jen, smiling. "Don't pry into your brother's relationship like that!"
"It's not prying if it's obvious~"
"Ohoh, stop!"
After putting away the bag, Noa closed everything up and got back behind the steering wheel.
("I wonder,") thought Renamon, and for a moment Al had to differentiate between his partner's voice and Keilani's. ("If Keilani's a tamer, do you think she stowed her digimon away in the dufflebag?")
-
“Among other things,” Al said, not even denying it..giving his mother a knowing, but apologetic look. “Let’s just say that we’ve had a weird few days.”
(“I would if I was her.. but who knows? Maybe she has a partner like you who can hide in plain sight?”) Al silently responded.. though his eyes did glance over to the bag.
“So what all didja bring, sis?”
-
"Oh you know," said Keilani, leaning back in her seat. "Clothes, books, my laptop computer, a dinosaur."
"Ha! A dinosaur?" echoed Noa. "Didn't know we had those on Hawaii. How'd you get it past security?"
"With my feminine wiles."
"H'well, I hope he likes fruit, 'cuz we got you a basket full of them back at the house!"
-
“Hah, good one Kei. If you’ve got a dinosaur in there, I’ve got a fox hidden under my seat.” He joked.. a shit eating grin on his face.
(“Let’s see if that makes her react.”)
-
"A fox, huh?" mused Keilani. "I dunno, Al, a dinosaur I can believe, buuuut--a fox?"
("Mhmhm, she always did have a good poker face,") thought Renamon.
-
"Like dinosaurs are believable in Hilo, unless you wanna say they're inspiration for the Mo'o." Al said as he reclined in his chair.. and he could feel Renamon's hands on his seat.
("We will be ripping the bandaid off when we get home anyway.. so I'm not too worried.")
-
The rest of the drive prove almost a mirror opposite of how they arrived. Jen began prodding Keilani about the plane ride while Noa made the occasional joke as he focused on driving. Even without seeing her do it, Alemana could feel Renamon's attention on Kei's duffelbag, despite the vulpine maintaining her mental commentary.
"-So my workplace'll be about an hour-forty from the house," said Keilani. "But they'll have dorms set up for staff, so I'm thinking maybe I can save gas if I commute every three days between home and the office."
Beneath a clear blue sky, the van began to slow as they arrived back in their driveway. And as a family, the Sonsons disembarked.
"Hey bro," said Kei, "Mind taking my bag up to my room? Need to use the bathroom real quick."
-
"So you'd be there three days out of every week? " Al asked in between a few nothing stories about what was going on with his life whenever she wasn't answering their parents questions, keeping a mental eye on Renamon as she kept her attentions on the bag, though it didn't seem to be overly conspicuous. Eventually they would arrive back home, and he would get out with a stretch, glancing over at Kei with a shrug. "Huh? Sure, I guess." he said as he hefted the bag with a grunt, steadying himself as he slipped his arm through the shoulder strap.
("Stay close, babe")
Walking up into the house and barely avoiding getting his balls busted by an overly enthusiastic Cashew as he greeted the family, he would carry Keilani's bag up the stairs and into her room.. carefully setting it down on the bed. part of him was tempted to unzip the bag and see what was inside, but another part of him was quite hesitant... it was a major breach in privacy, possible digimon hiding within the bag or not. And yet a third part of him was afraid that he'd find something that would scar him for life- his mom was unlucky enough to catch him naked with two of his lovers.. what if he was cursed with stumbling onto unreasonably revealing undergarments.. or some sort of kinky sex toy? He wanted to believe that Keilani didn't have the same proclivities that he did.. but with how his life had turned out? he wasn't so sure..! So he just stood there for an uncomfortably long moment, just staring at the duffel bag.
"Gah.. this is stupid." he muttered, before turning around to either find Kei or wait for her to come to him and socialize.
-
Just as Al was about to turn away, a hint of movement caught his eye. It had been so slight, a push of the duffel bag's fabric. Had it just crumpled up on something?
("Al,") thought Renamon. ("I saw it too. Something just moved inside the bag.")
Where once it was small, now the motion was constant, shuffling the bag in place right before Al and Renamon's eyes.
("I hear someone coming,") the vulpine warned. ("What should we do?")
-
He froze when he saw the bag move.. and he felt a sense of vindication. He was right, or at least he thought he was! ("Sit tight, I think we got them.")
"Hey Kei, is that you?" he asked, taking a seat on the bed next to the duffel bag. "I was hoping we could chat for a bit, really catch up!"
-
Cinnamon sauntered into the bedroom just as Keilani came into view from the doorway.
"Oh hey," said Kei. "Thanks again for the help. Got some stuff I wanted to talk about, too."
"Kids!" called Jen. "Did you find the fruit basket?!"
"No mom! I'll check on it later~!"
-
"Thanks anyway, mom!" Al called as he then would look over his sister shoulder.
"Yeah? Mind closing that door then? Cause this is actually kinda important.."
("Alright, when I tell you to.. I want you to reveal yourself.")
-
"Nice try," said Kei, pointing at Al. "As your big sister, I'm calling first crack at this. First, open the bag."
-
That surprised him, and he would glance at the bag as he carefully unzipped the bag.. unsure what sort of creature would come out of it-
-
The younger Sonson froze. Staring back from within the confines of the duffel bag, were a pair of beady eyes. Tiny plush arms motioned up and down to the whirring of a electricity, as a white kaiju plushy let out a recording of a synthesized roar.
*SLAM* went the door behind Al. Looking over his shoulder, the teen saw Keilani put her hands together as the girl blew white powder into air!
("F-flour?!") thought Renamon. That was all she had time to think, for no sooner had the fine cloud been let loose did she fight the tickling of her nose. "Ah...! Ah-hah--CHOO!!"
"Busted!!" exclaimed Keilani, her finger pointing straight at the still invisible fox.
-
"What the fu-" Al said in surprise at the monster toy, only to spin when Renamon sneezed. ("Are you okay?") he asked as he looked at his sister, his eyes now narrow.
"Why would you blow shit in her face, Keilani?" he said, now a bit angry. He wanted to have a serious conversation with her, and now he felt like he was caught flat footed. "Show yourself babe.. apparently the jig is up."
-
"Yeah! Jig is up!" said a voice. Both Renamon and Al paused before turning back to the bag. There, standing up with claws up high stood a white-scaled creature as tall as a human toddler. Unlike a human, however, it had the head of a triceratops; three black-tipped white horns, two on its forehead and one tiny black one on its nose. Red-tipped spikes made up its frill, whilst dark violet were the color of its claws. Yet so big were its beaming, yellow eyes as they stared back at Al, it almost distracted from the blue bandana wrapped around its neck.
"G-Gammamon!" said Keilani. "You were supposed to stay inside!"
"But you said it was okay!" said the dinosaur. "And I really wanna see!"
"Gammamon?" echoed Renamon. At that moment, the vulpine reappeared, glancing between Keilani and the white digimon.
-
Al would turn back around in surprise at the voice.. and his eyes were wide. He always suspected.. hoped that her digimon partner survived against Varamon.. but to finally see it with his own eyes.. any rehearsed lines or shocked rebuttals were thrown out the window.
“I knew it! I knew it survived!” Al would then scoop The small white digimon up, smiling and laughing as he held her partner up in the air. “I’ve always had a horrible doubt, nightmares that Varamon destroyed you and ripped you away from my sister.. I’m so thankful that it wasn’t true..” he said as he gently looked the Digimon over. “Gammamon huh? I’m Alemana.. it’s great to finally meet you!” He said as he gave the dinosaur a hug.
Eventually he would realize how strange this must’ve been, and he carefully plopped Gammamon back down on the bed.
“And tha.. uh..this is my partner, Renamon. So.. I guess you had the same idea we had huh sis?”
-
Gammamon cried out smiling as he was held aloft, arms and legs stretched out as if ready to freefall.
When Alemana turned to look at his sister, he found her staring back mere inches away from him.
"You've been sleeping with your digimon," she said in a monotone voice.
"Cat's out of the bag, hon," said Renamon, the vulpine brushing the flour from her sleeves. "You did just call me 'babe'."
-
“So I—“ he then sputtered for a moment at her statement, his face was now a deep cinnamon from embarrassment
“Damn slip of the tongue…” he then looked away from his sister.
“Yes.. let me guess- you don’t approve..?”
-
"Depends on the context," she said, folding her arms.
"Heheh, Keilani and Renamon have the same voice," said Gammamon.
"Not helping, Gammy."
Renamon coughed into a fist as she looked away from the girl.
There came a knock at the door.
"Kids?" said Jen. "I heard shouting. You guys okay in there?"
-
“And what does that mean Kei?” Al asked, though he would quickly look at the door. “We’re okay mom! Kei just told me something really cool!”
-
"Start talking and I'll let you know," said Keilani.
Upon Al's response to Jen, their mother said "Well, okay! Dad's thinking of grilling up burgers for lunch! I'll let you know when we're ready!"
"B-burgers?" echoed Gammamon. "Keilani! Can we eat? I haven't had anything since we landed!"
"Not now, Gammy. Me and my bro need to talk."
-
“”Renamon has been here for me through everything.. why is it weird that we’d become a couple?” He asked, before smiling at Gammamon
“Don’t worry lil man, I’ll make sure you get a burger or two.”
-
Gammamon felt the sides of his face as he stared back at Alemana, gasping. The white digimon proceeded to bounce up and down on the bed as he sang out his heart.
"My relationship with Al is purely consensual," said Renamon. "If that's what you're worried about."
Keilani gave the fox a sidelong glance. "Well good," she said. "The last thing I wanted to hear is that my lil bro was taking advantage of his partner."
-
“I would never do anything to hurt Renamon, Keilani. Sure.. we have this sort of relationship that you don’t have with Gammamon.. but I love her just as much as you love your partner sis.” He said as he smiled at Renamon.
“But you said you wanted to talk about something, so did I. Something big is happening in town right now sis.. and I think people who’ve been to the digital world are being targeted.”
-
[Hmm... roll Decipher Intent]
-
[Rolling: 6 1 4 + 8 = 19]
-
The scientist raised an eyebrow. "You think, or you know?"
"We've reason to believe it so," said Renamon. "It's only a theory, but we've been gathering evidence that would support it."
Keilani took in a deep breath as she closed her eyes. "Listen," she said. "I'm sorry for tricking the truth out of you guys. Why don't we go over the details, and work from there?"
-
“And the evidence we do have is pointing to that fact rather damningly, but with everything there’s always a chance that it could be random.. but I doubt it.” Al said as he then looked at Renamon, and then back at Keilani “I’ll tell you what we know.. but you gotta be straight with us about something in return. We gotta be sure of something first.”
(“Moment of truth baby.”)
“Do you know anything about the Commision for the Observation of Digital Extrapolation ?”
-
She held Al's gaze. "...Yeah," she said. "They've got a base in Honolulu. Why, did they spot you?"
-
“… I fucking knew it.” Al said quietly, though his tone became a bit more uncertain. “No.. well, I’m not sure. I don’t think they are either. We kinda..stumbled on one of their guys for the first time yesterday, while in the middle of doing something else though. We knew that there was some sort of government group that was in the know about the Digimon and the Digital World.. but we never could pin down a name until now.”
-
"Keilani!" Turning back over to Gammamon, the others saw the dinosaur had sprouted a tiny pair of black wings from his back. "Keilani, look! It's Cinnamon!" And sure enough, the white digimon was floating above the grumbling cat, who tried pawing at him whenever he drew to close. "Hello Cinnamon! Even though you are not a digimon and can't fly, let's go on an adventure to the moon!"
A forced smile cross Keilani's face, one side twitching as she put a hand over her eyes.
"Gammy," she said. "We're trying to have a serious talk over here. Leave the cat alone."
("Should I take him into another room?") asked Renamon, the vulpine watching as Cinammon evaded capture from one side of the room to the other.
-
Al would stop as Gammamon began chasing Cinnamon around the bedroom, and he couldn’t help but chuckle (“He reminds me of a certain Kitmon.. but yeah, take him to the other room.”)
-
("Mhmhm, if he reminds you of you then it's no wonder Kei keeps him around.") Lightning quick, the vulpine snatched the dinosaur out of the air by his neck. "Come on Gammamon," she said. "Let's give the humans some privacy."
"Aww, can we bring Cinnamon with us?"
"No. No we may not."
As Renamon closed the door behind them, the room fell quiet. Cinnamon had slipped her way under the bed, leaving Al and Keilani to each other's company.
"So," said Keilani. "Renamon, huh?"
-
(“That’s not what I meant and you know it, Kitmon,”)
He then smiled as she quickly disappeared with Gammamon, though he rose an eyebrow at his sister.
“Yeah, she’s pretty amazing. Gammamon’s not what I was expecting at all.” He then chuckled “I’m glad, though.”
-
Al would spot the vulpine giving him a wink just before the door closed.
"He can be a bit of a baby at times," said Keilani. "But he's really sweet. Can get a little moody, though. Was worried about bringing him to the house in case he broke anything."
-
“Yeah, he acts more like Renamon when she’s Viximon than I was expecting. I guess every species really is different,” he said as he then got back on track. “But CODE.. what can you tell me about them? You seem to have some familiarity with those guys, if you know that they got a base here.”
-
"I know that you shouldn't be looking for them. They're feds, Al. You'll get you and your partner both in trouble. I've had to spend five years in their backyard, and Gammy didn't make it easy."
-
“I don’t think we have a choice on that front, if my suspicions are correct..” Al said as he then looked up at his sister. “I… hm.. I dunno how to put this..” he felt himself suddenly at a loss on what to say. It should be easy: tell her that he was searching for Lonomon.. but he was hesitant. What if she was still hiding something..
-
Keilani craned her neck to one side. "Al?" she said. "Is there something on my face?"
-
.. fuck it.
“Okay.. What was your time in the digital world like, Sis?”
-
"...It was a warzone," she said. "Spent nearly half a year looking for a way back home." Al's sister rubbed the side of her arm as she looked away. "No matter what island we landed on, we always saw more of the same thing. Smoking craters, burnt out ruins, battlefields full of broken down machines and combat gear."
-
His face would fall a little at that, and he would gently wrap his arms around his sister, giving her a tight hug. “I’m sorry.” He said softly as he then tried to lighten the mood. “If it makes you feel better, I punched a dragon almost a quarter across Waihona, and learned that god is real.. at least a few of them are..”
-
Keilani blinked. "Punched a dragon?" she echoed. "You mean Renamon punched a dragon, right?"
-
Al would give her a grin. A huge, mischievous, shit eating grin
“Nope. I was the one doing the punching. Though Renamon did soften him up a bit, even though she was a demon fox thing at the time..”
-
The woman returned the grin. "A demon fox, huh? Well me and Gammy blew up a meteorite, and got an island named after us in the process."
-
“I don’t have an island.. but I do got a canyon named after me. I guess the Sonsons really have left their mark huh?”
-
"Guess so," chuckled Keilani. Turning, she sat down on the bed, pulling her bag off as she gestured for Al to sit. "I won't lie," she said. "The Kumulipo Server was a rough ride. Sometimes I get nightmares about all the near-death experiences, even waking up in a cold sweat... but, when I see Gammamon sleeping next to me, or laughing, or doing any number of bonehead stunts around the dorm... it all feels worth it, like, we earned the right to be happy. To live not just for each other, but also ourselves, y'know?"
-
“Yeah..” his smile fell away somewhat, and he hugged her a bit more tightly. “I.. we had to do a lot to survive too. And I get nightmares about it every now and then.. not nearly as much as I used to.. but they still happen..” he then sighed “I really mean it, when I say Renamon has helped me through a lot of really dark times these past five years.. it’s why I love her so much.”
-
Kei wrapped an arm around the teen, resting her cheek atop his head. "So if Renee was really Renamon this whole time," she said. "That means you've been together forrrr--five years? Think that's around the same time me and Gammy met. I was running late to class. Dropped my smartphone down the stairs. Think I might've tripped trying to catch it. Next thing I knew, I was in a completely different building, landing on a stack of boxes."
-
He smiled as he held his sister, and he would nod. “Yeah, five years. I was coming home from a late basketball practice session.. I got distracted by a weird cat on my way home and I think a car was about to hit me. I suddenly woke up on a bed of leaves in the middle of the day on an island I never heard of, and nearly got murdered by a Stingmon twenty minutes later. I met Renamon then, she saved my life for the first time.” He said with a faint smile of nostalgia. “She was so damn cool.. like a real super hero.”
-
"Heh, she seems pretty cool," said Kei, ruffling her brother's hair. "Bet she's the brains of the operation, too."
-
“Hey, that’s a bit sexist don’t you think?” He teasingly shot back “It’s easily 50/50 on that front.”
-
"Pffft, who said anything about sex? I'm totally basing it on how she carries herself. Heh, not like Gammy. Little guy's just a ball of chaos. I honestly wonder if he has Dissociative Identity Disorder, because every time he digivolves, it's like I'm talking to a completely different person."
-
“Clearly you, thinking Renamon is the only one to come up with a plan.” He said with a laugh, though he cocked his brow. “Really? Renamon isn’t really like that at all, it’s like she just gets mentally more mature..well except for-“ his breath then hitched as Magatsurimon’s face flashed in his mind.. and Keilani could feel his arms grow rigid.
“..Anyway! So uh.. how did you get back home?”
-
"Huh? Oh, well--"
"Kids!" called Jen. "Lunch is ready!"
"Okay mom!" said Keilani. Al's sister then returned to facing him. "It's a little complicated," she said, standing up. "C'mon, we'll talk about it after we eat."
-
“Heh.. tell me about it..” he said as he got up
“Let’s get some food!”
-
The two siblings would make their way downstairs. Already they could hear Cashew's hurrying paw pads tapping against the kitchen tile. But as Al came into view of the dining room, he came to a complete stop. There, dressed in a revealing blouse and micro-shorts, Renee stood with Gammamon in arms.
"Honestly, it's no trouble!" said Jen. "We were actually hoping you'd drop by, so Noa made extra!"
"I just wanted to welcome Keilani home," chuckled Renee. "Al's been talking about her nonstop since you told him she was coming back."
"Is that my blouse?" Al heard Keilani ask from behind. Though in truth, it sounded as if she was asking herself as much as him.
-
Alemana should’ve expected this to happen, but he still was caught off guard. “Oh- hey babe! I thought you’d be coming over later, but I guess I misjudged the time !” Al said with a laugh.. but he looked over his shoulder and mouthed “I think so.” In an apologetic fashion.
-
The shapeshifter gave a modest laugh. "I wouldn't miss seeing Keilani for the world," she said, lifting Gammamon up. "Look at what I got for her. What do you think, Kei?"
"Oh, he's just adorable," said the elder sib. Making her way past Al, Keilani approached the undercover 'mons with a broadening smile. "How did you know I like dinos?"
"You can blame Al for that. He helped pay for him, y'know. He just loves his big sister."
"Awww, Al!" said Jen, turning around. "You should've told me you were looking for gifts! I could've paid for it."
"You know Al," mused Renee. "He's getting so mature these days."
-
Al would watch the two interact, and he had a feeling of helplessness that he could only imagine his father felt that first day Noa got swarmed by Ike, Malie, and Vivi.. but he could only roll with it.
“I wanted to surprise Keilani.. how did it go?” He asked, a small laugh leaving his lips.
-
"Oh, I love him," said Keilani, the astronomer giving Al the side-eye as she took Gammamon from Renee. "But you know me, I'll just have to pay him back for this."
"Be sure to let me in on it," said the shapeshifter, eyes on her tamer. "I've got plenty of ideas on what you can do."
"Okay, you guys," chuckled Jen. "Let's eat before the burgers get cold. Noa? You in the bathroom?"
As Jen walked off in search of her husband, Gammamon's eyes fluttered. "I win!" he said. "Nobody plays pretend better than me!"
"For sure, Gammy," said Renee, tapping the horn on the dinosaur's nose.
-
Al would smile silently and just laugh along…but he glanced at Renee (“What’s your plan, Rena?”) he asked, playfully nervous.
“You’re the bomb, Gammy!”
-
("No plan,") thought the shapeshifter. ("Or at least, nothing yet. Can only do so much on an empty stomach, right~?")
Kissing the teen on the cheek, Renee sauntered over to the kitchen leading the way as people began grabbing plates. The kitchen was set up with an assortment of condiments and ingredients to pick from. Even sides of rice and home-made fries. It became an obstacle between Cashew and Gammamon as Keilani juggled feeding her partner, hiding him under the table, and catching up with everyone.
"So Kei," said Noa. "Anything you wanna do to celebrate? We can see what's playing at the movies, or plan something for next Saturday."
"Nah, I'm good," she said. "It's nice to have some quiet days after all the hustle n' bustle getting back home. Feels like forever since I had good homemade food."
"Well dig in! There's plenty more to go around!"
-
And Al would say nothing, instead smiling and just enjoying this moment. He would enjoy it and put everything revolving Digimon aside for an hour or two. Because he knew that once lunch was over.. he would have to make a very risky decision. So for now? He would put it off until Kei wanted to talk again.
-
"That reminds me," said Jen. "Al, your school called earlier. It sounds like they'll be setting up online classes until things get back to normal."
"Oh yeah," said Keilani. "The hospitalizations. They're now saying it's being caused by gas leaks."
"Gas leaks?" echoed Noa. "Didn't think Al's school was that old."
"Who knows? We get small tremors all the time, maybe the pipes weren't put in properly or just lousy manufacture."
Renee exchanged looks with Al.
-
That made Al sit up a bit, and without really thinking about what he was saying he would blurt out “It’s not gas leaks. If that’s the case, me and Ike would’ve gotten hospitalized like Palani, we were in the same room with him when he collapsed.”
-
The others paused, all eyes now on Al.
"I'm sure the police aren't giving us everything," said Noa. "Ongoing investigations mean we won't get all the facts until everything's squared away."
-
“Well.. whatever it is? It ain’t natural gas or anything like that, I know that much.” He said, now suddenly very self conscious. “Besides.. ruptured pipes at two schools who aren’t even sharing the same line..? That is incredibly improbable if you’re gonna look at it objectively. Whoever fed the cops that excuse sucks ..”
-
Noa and Jen trailed off as they nodded and got back to eating; Renee wrapping her leg around Al's.
"Gahh shoot," said Keilani as she got up from her seat. "I totally forgot. I need to call someone from work. I'll be back in a sec!"
As the elder sibling headed towards the bathroom, Al felt Renamon speaking inside his mind. ("Should I check to see who she's calling?") thought the shapeshifter.
-
He would feel a jolt crawl up his spine as Renee did that.. but when Keilani excused herself he would mentally sigh
(“Go ahead, hon.”)
-
Renee excused herself from the table just as Keilani was out of sight, the shapeshifter's footfalls silent, though only Al seemed to notice. Yet as the parents continued to make idle banter, Alemana heard a growl rumble out of Cashew. Looking under the table, the teen noticed a sudden and immediate problem.
Gammamon was missing.
-
Oh shit,
Trying to be sneaky, Al then looked under the table "Gammy?" he whispered
-
No response came from the ceratops. All to be seen was Cashew glancing in every direction as the canine backed away from where Gammamon had been sitting. That's when the sound of a door slamming pulled Al's attention back out from under the table.
"Honey," said Jen. "Did you forget to close the door to the backyard?"
"Could've sworn I closed it," said Noa, motioning to get up from his chair.
-
This was a problem, and Al could feel a pit forming in his stomach. What was Gammamon thinking? This was broad daylight and their parents were in the house! Acting fast, Al would get up. “No it’s okay, I’ll go check! You just enjoy your burgers dad, you outdid yourself this time!” Al said with a smile as he left the table and walked to the back door. Once out of ear shot he would open the door and peered outside, trying to find Gammamon .
“Gammy.. where the heck are you?” The teen whisper- yelled
-
[Hmm... roll Perception]
-
[Rolling: 5 6 5 + 9 =25]
-
Through the almighty power of adrenaline-induced desperation, Alemana was able to beeline out the door to find Gammamon running towards the bushes. Indeed, the bipedal ceratops was carrying what remained of his burger above his head, and had Al been any slower, the teen would have missed seeing him disappear behind the foliage!
-
"Gammy! Where are you going!?"
And he was out the door, running after Gammamon.. what was this little guy doing!?
("Please tell me you've been able to spy on Kei, Renamon!")
-
("She's talking inside the bathroom,") thought the vulpine. ("From the sound of it, she's talking to one of her college professors. What's going on at your end?")
As Al chased Gammamon into the greenery, the white digimon gave a start. Coming into view, Al found his sister's partner stuck in the air, holding position like a ballet dancer despite his toe claw not touching the ground... and about to fall forward. But for whatever reason, gravity had denied him the landing, and somehow, the ceratops was struggling left and right without moving further than an inch. But Alemana saw the light as it caught on the same thing as the digimon: webbing. Its strands as thick as a human finger.
"Alemana?" said Gammy. "Alemana, help! I think I'm stuck!"
-
"What? Hang on Gammy!" Al said as he approached, a bit slower now. "Webs? How can they be strong enough to hold onto a..." He then stopped dead in his tracks for a moment. "No way..." he then tried to tug Gammamon free, his eyes looking this way and that. "We don't have any sort of spiders that could make webs strong enough to trap a digimon like this, it has to be some sort of Spidermon's work..!"
(Renamon! Gammamon is stuck in some sort of Digi-web!")
-
[Hmm... roll Feats of Strength.]
-
[1 3 5 +9 =18]
-
("Is that a pun?") asked the vulpine. ("Nevermind, I'm on my way!")
The web's adhesiveness proved a challenge, even for an athlete like Al. The teen had to angle himself to avoid getting caught in the tangled mess like Gammamon. Yet doing so only made pulling on the web at full strength even harder. *PAP!* went one of the strands, freeing up Gammy's leg. Another broke off, and his arm was free.
"BREACLAW!!" shouted the ceratops, his claws unleashing solid energy to cut at the web. "Al! Save my borg!"
-
("Wait, I think we got it!") and he would then gasp, reaching for the burger out of reflex.
-
A sigh echoed inside Al's mind. ("Did you catch the culprit?") asked Renamon.
Over five years of intense training at catching basketballs out of the air, and Al was able to pluck the prize from certain doom! The teen would be rewarded in seeing Gammamon rip and shred at every last bit of the webbing, be it with claw, tooth or stomp-stomp-stomp.
"Yaaaaay! We win!" cheered Gammy as he threw his claws up. "Nobody steals our borgs but us!"
-
("No, we'd have to look.") he said as he looked at the torn up webs, his eyes narrowed in though as he held the precious burger in his hand. Gammamon's reaction to the save, however, made him smile softly. "You're right little man," he said as he gave the burger back.
"Why did you run out of the house, Gammy?"
-
"Cashew was trying to steal my borg," pouted the ceratops. "Keilani gave it to me, so I should get to eat it, right Al?" Gammamon didn't wait for an answer, the digimon chowing down on it like nothing had happened. "Mmmmh, so good~! Super salty greasy tasty~!"
-
“Well.. I’m glad you’re okay!”
Al would then look at the webs, and after a moment he would bring his digivice up so he could scan the webs. “Let’s see what you belong to..”
-
The digivice would take only a moment before displaying the image of a furry spider with big, green, featureless eyes over a horned, golden head. Black and purple stripes lined its furry body, along with two rows of red horns that struggled to poke out from beneath said-fur. Leathery straps wrapped around the base of poofy grey fur of its legs, each ending in a single red claw but for the front most pair. Said-pair was instead capped by red gloves with white, cartoon skulls on the back of them, with three, pale-blue claws appearing to have ripped through the fabric in a makeshift effort at improvised punching daggers.
//KoDokugumon
++//Level: Rookie
++//Type: Arachnid
++//Attribute: Virus
++//Family: Jungle Troopers
++//Attacks: Poison Nails, Spinneret
-
He was expecting some sort of ugly, panic attack inducing creature.. but this digimon was oddly.. cute? Which seemed to be on brand for most Rookies. Breathing a sigh of relief, he would then look about, searching for the little beast. “Okay, come on out KoDokugumon! I don’t wanna hurt you, I just wanna know why you’re spinning webs around my house!”
-
Silence was all the response the Hawaiian would get. Growling, Gammamon turned to face a nearby tree. His yellow eyes narrowed, and he charged face first at the trunk, head-butting it as gave out a roar. The sudden impact of the digimon sent the leaves rustling and the canopy swaying, but Al could hear it, the sudden gasp of something -- someone -- hiding up above! The teen dodged what at first he thought was a coconut, only to recognize the ball for what it was as it hung and bounced on the end of a sticky thread of silk! Now he was staring face to face with a creature with eight green eyes, trembling in place as it tried to reach its bungee cord of a thread!
-
“Holy- are you okay Gammy?” He asked, wincing when Gammamon hit the tree. But when the ball like thing fell from the tree he darted backwards a step before realizing that he was eye-to eyes with KoDokugumon. “Hey, you!” He said as he tried to catch the spiderling.
“What are you doing here little guy?”
-
[Roll Athletics with a -3 penalty]
-
[Rolling: 1 4 3 + 9= 14]
-
As Alemana reached for Kodokugumon, the spider digimon bounced off the tamer's outstretched hands in an effort to swing in the opposite direction. The spider swung for the tree, grunting as it reached with tiny baby legs for the trunk.
"No!" it squeaked with teary eyes, missing its mark completely!
But Al was quick. Even taken by surprise, the tamer recognized a game of tetherball when he saw it. As the Kodokugumon swung back around, the athlete tamer readied his hand as if to swat the spiderling - only to snatch him like a burger in flight, clutching the critter in his arms.
"Leggo! Leggo!" it said, struggling to escape Al's grip. "You're not supposed to see me! You're not supposed to even be over here!"
-
“Wait, hold on !” Al said as he he held onto the little spidermon, trying to calm the creature down as it struggled. “Wait .. what do you mean? Why am I not supposed to see you?” He then felt his chest tighten at that last part.
“…Why am I not supposed to be here? Have you been spying on me little guy?”
-
The spider froze, its protests choking it as all eight eyes stared back at the tamer.
"The jig is up!" said Gammamon. "We caught you red-clawed, nerrrrrrd!"
("How are we doing, Al?") thought Renamon. ("Find any clues?")
"Please let me go," mumbled Kodoku. "I'm just doing my job. Please?"
-
(“Get Keilani, we got ourselves a guest.”)
He would sigh. “Look, I got questions for you okay? Like I said, I don’t want to hurt you.” He said as he then looked around for a moment.
“If I set you down over there, will you promise that you won’t try to run away?”
-
[Hmm... roll Persuade with a -2 from difficulty.]
-
[Rolling: 4 5 5 + 7- 2= 19]
-
The spiderling curled up into a ball. "I'm gonna be in so much trouble..."
...
After Renee had excused everyone from coming back into the house, she, Keilani, Gammy and Al stood in a semi-circle around Kodokugumon. For every second there was silence among them, the spider tapped a claw against the rock it was sat atop.
"You guys seriously had no idea that there was a digimon spying on our house?" asked Kei.
"I would have seen them if they'd been camping here," said Renee. "That it was caught by Gammamon tripping over its web tells me they're not on my level."
"But my borg," said Gammy, claws hugging his stomach.
-
“Until like three-four days ago, we hadn’t seen another digimon for over five years, sis. Didn’t have much reason to suspect a mon would be spying on us.” Having the Kodokugu on that rock, Al would look at his sister and sigh “Either way.. I guess we have Gammy to think for bringing this to our attention.” He then looked down at the spider, kneeling down so he was at eye level with it.”Which brings me back to my question.. what are you doing hiding in our backyard?”
-
"W-watching...?"
"Watching... what?" asked Keilani.
"Oh, you know... lots of things."
Al's sister raised he brow. "Uhuh. Of all the places on Hawai'i, you just happen to set up at a house with two tamers and two digimon living in it. On the day I came back from Honolulu."
The spider withered in the shadow of the others, its hind claws tapping even faster.
-
“Hey, don’t be scared Spinny.. like I said, we aren’t gonna hurt you. My sisters right though.. you’re watching us for a reason. You said that you’d get in trouble.. who would get in trouble with?”
-
The spider bowed her head underneath her gloved claws. "M-my mama."
"Mama?" echoed the group.
"Who is your mother?" asked Renee. "Can we talk to her?"
"N-NO!! She'd be so mad if I did! Don't make me do it! Please?"
-
“Your mama told you to do this—?” But before he could press forward he would hold up his hands at her sudden outburst. “O-okay, okay! We won’t ask you to get her for us.” He said soothingly as he looked at his sister and Renee for some sort of guidance before an idea came to him.
“Hey.. are you hungry, KoDokugumon?”
-
The spiderling paused. "Um... well..."
"Doesn't sound like a no~" mused Renee.
"Come to think of it," said Keilani. "Dad was just out here grilling. Did the smell of the burgers draw you in?"
"No," said Spinny. "I... I've been doing just fine catching bugs."
"Did Al and Gammy destroy your lunch when they broke your web?" asked Renee.
The spider's hunched shoulders were all the group needed to confirm their suspicions.
"Cashew wanted my borg!" said Gammy.
-
“Aw crap, I’m sorry!” Al said as he then rubbed his arm in embarrassment. “Would you like something to eat then? It’s the least I can do for helping ruin your web.”
He then looked at Renee.”Could you bring out one of the burgers, please?”
-
"Of course," said the shapeshifter, turning towards the house. "I'll be back before you know it."
"N-nooo!" said Spinny. "Stop it! Stop trying to be nice to me!"
"We've got medium rare~"
"Well okay, it's for the best."
A few minutes later, the spider digimon was chomping down on Sonson burger as Gammy looked on with salivating tongue.
"Well?" said Keilani. "How's it taste~?"
"It's so juicy," said Spinny. "Nice and tender."
-
Al would smile as the spider protested, and then capitulated to the offers of medium rare meats. “We aren’t trying to be nice, we really are nice!”
——
And as Spinny ate her burger, he would sit with the others and then chimed in. “Our dad is a pro when it comes to grilling, don’t you think?” Al asked as he then sat down a little cup of fruit juice for KoDokugumon. “So… how long have you been in our world? You haven’t gotten in any trouble have you?”
-
"Less than mama, but more than eight years. We don't get in trouble unless we get caught, which we never do! Cuz we're... super... stealthy..."
As the spiderling trailed off, the others exchanged looks.
"Do you know anything by the name of CODE?" asked Keilani.
"Oh I'm not supposed to talk about work."
"As in you work for CODE? Or you work despite CODE?"
"Yes and no."
"Yes and no to what?"
"Hmmm--both!"
-
Over eight years? It didn’t sound possible at first, but he then remembered what Kuku had said: there had been incursions from the digital world into this one for at least the past few decades, if not longer. So while it seemed unlikely that a partnerless digimon could go that long without being discovered.. it was far from impossible. And then there was the matter with CODE and that seemingly contradicting answer from Spinny that made the gears in his head start turning.
“Can’t you talk about it a little? We won’t get you in trouble, I promise.” Al said, putting on his best smile. Any information was better than nothing at all, and seeing the groups lack of progress until now? He’d take whatever he could get.
-
[Hmm... roll Persuade with a -3 from difficulty.]
-
[rolling: 6 6 1 + 7 - 3 = 17]
“Please? We will get you another burger!”
-
Spinny was halfway through another bite, her 'palps revealing needle-like fangs as she opened them up and glomped on the burger.
"It's the family business," she said. "Mama does the talking, I just watch people and stuff."
"Watch people do what exactly?" asked Renee.
"Depends. Sometimes I just hang from a web and record people talking. Or tell mama when they drop stuff at spots all around town."
-
“And why do you do that? For what purpose?” Al asked, refilling her little juice cup.
-
"Cuz she says so."
"Sounds like spying," said Keilani. "Even blackmail."
"Mh-hmm!"
The spiderling put down the burger to sip the offered juice, gulping it down in record time before hurrying back to the main course.
-
“Blackmail huh? That sounds really sketchy and risky.” Al said, glancing at Keilani for a moment.
“Does your mama.. hurt people?”
-
Immediately, Spinny stopped eating. "What? No," she said. "What kinda business strategy's that? Mama's the smartest mon I know!"
"Of course she is," cooed Renee. "After all, she raised you, right? I'd love to meet the mon who raised such a sweetheart like you."
"Yeah!"
"No way she's better than Keilani," said Gammy. "Keilani's like a big sister to me, and doesn't let me go on dangerous missions by myself!"
"Huh! Sounds like Keilani thinks you can't take care of yourself!"
"That's because I can't!"
"At least you're honest!"
Sparks began flying between the two digimon as they stared each other down, trading barbed comments back and forth in rapid escalation as Renee and the humans exchanged looks.
-
Well that was a relief, he really didn’t want to make a new enemy if he could avoid it.
But the argument between Gammy and Spinny was utterly unexpected
“Uh—“
-
"Keilani is so cool, she let's me use her personal telescope whenever I want!"
"Well MY mama's so cool she lets us ride in her limousine all across town!"
"Oh yeah?! Well Keilani's so cool she pissed off the queen of the Mo'omon and lived to talk about it!"
"Well my mama's so cool, nobody in CODE can touch her without pissing off half a dozen human countries!"
("Should we stop them?") thought Renee. ("I'm honestly curious how long this lasts for.")
"YEAH?! W-well Keilani's so smart, she got CODE--"
Keilani stepped forward, picking up Gammamon with a scowl on her face. "Gammy!" she said. "That's enough!"
The white ceratops paused. "But Kei-"
"I said stop. Understand?"
Gammamon stared back at his partner. Eyes downcast, he hung his head forward, nodding.
-
(“It’s weirdly funny, not gonna lie—“)
His humor was cut down immediately as Gammamon mentioned CODE and he would take hold on his sisters wrist. “We are going to talk about that. Not negotiable.” He said, his voice surprisingly sharp and authoritative- much more than he had ever sounded with her. But he would look down at KoDokugumon
“So your mama is a big deal, huh?”
-
The spiderling took a step back.
"Y-yeah?" she said.
"Al, what the hell're you doing?" said Keilani, forcing herself free from her brother's grip.
-
“I’ll tell you later.” Al said as he then knelt down, a smile on his face. “Well, maybe one day you could drop your mama a hint that we’d be open to the idea of having a meeting with her.”
-
Spinny cocked her head to the side. "How come?"
"Because," mused Renee. "It's just good business practice to hear out a potential client."
The spiderling looked down at her burger, tapping her claws. "Well... okay. But no promises!" She then bit down on her lunch as she fired silk upwards from her abdomen. With only a wave from her gloved claws, the spiderling swung away, disappearing from view as she snapped her line and fired another into the distance.
-
And he would wave back until the tiny spidermon was out of sight before then looking back at his sister. "Sorry for grabbing you like that sis.. but you gotta be straight with me. What was Gammy about to say before you stopped him?"
-
"You want me to talk about it now?" she asked. "After finding out our house was - and still is - being spied on?"
"We can always talk about it somewhere else," offered Renee.
"Where? For all we know, KoDokugumon could be waiting at any of our regular hot spots."
"Keilani," said Gammamon. "Please don't be mad. They're just trying to help."
Al's sister sighed, holding her partner tight in her arms. "I know," she said. "I know..."
-
He would then look at Renamon, and then at his sister and Gammamon. "I might have a safe place for us to talk."
("We cleaned the sheets at the clubhouse.. right?")
-
("You mean since Vilemon?") thought the shapeshifter. ("Then yes. Yes we have.")
...
"SO CUUUTE!!"
On entering the clubhouse, Keilani and Gammamon would share the same blank stare as Malie near rammed into them.
"Malie?!" said Kei. "Wait, is that a digimon?!"
Following his sister's line of sight, Al saw Gazimon standing like a deer in headlights, the chimera having been mid-step in carrying food from the kitchen while his mouth was stuffed.
"Wow!" said Gammamon, hopping out of his partner's arms. "More friends!"
Ike jumped out of his spot on the sofa. "You brought her HERE?!!" he said. "Wait, does that mean-"
"It means welcome to the party~!" said Renee, changing back into Renamon as the door closed behind her.
-
("Thank god..")
______________
Al had intended to warn his friends, but in the excitement of getting some answers finally it slipped his mind and he dropped the ball on that.. pretty hard actually. Looking at Keilani sheepishly, he would give a pained smile. "Well.. I never said that I DIDN'T have contact with other tamers besides you--" he said with a nervous laugh as he then looked at Ike.
"Yeah, she's one of us. This is her partner, Gammamon."
-
Even without looking, Al could feel holes boring into the back of his head.
"Well, right," said Ike. "But is she--"
"She's fine, Ike," said Renamon, guiding the others deeper into the main room. "We had lunch before we came over."
Ike glanced back at Al with a raised brow, closing his mouth shut as he sat back down.
"So everyone here's been to the Digital World?" asked Keilani.
"Yep," said Malie. "We found each other and came back together."
Meanwhile, Gammamon flied over to Gazimon as the chimera swallowed. "Hi, I'm Gammamon! What's your name?"
"Uh Gazimon. How's it goin'?"
"Awesome! I got into a fight with a spider and made friends with Cinnamon!"
"Heh?"
-
"Trust me, we have been talking.. eh.. 'business' pretty much the entire time we brought her home from the airport," Al said as he then glanced back at his sister, trying to ignore Gammy and Gazi out of the corner of his eye. "And I am about 98% sure that we can trust her. After all.. she seemed to have had been expecting this sort of meeting for awhile." he then would look around for Vivi.
"Wait.. is Vivi here?"
-
"Yeah," said Malie. "She's in the spare bedroom you and Renamon don't use."
"Al and Renamon use a bedroom here, huh?" asked Kei.
And with that, Renamon was sauntering towards the bedrooms, "I'll go get Vivi," she said. "You two make yourselves at home, alright?"
Keilani grunted, slumping into the nearby foambag chair, massaging her brow.
When Renamon returned, Vivi was nursing a cup of coffee in her hands as her head bobbed from side to side.
"Hey Kei," she yawned, rubbing her eyes from under her glasses. "Welcome to the think tank...!"
"Vivi?" said Keilani. "What happened to you?"
"Long story, been running on espresso since yesterday. How're you?"
-
To say Al was embarrassed was an understatement.. and he would just make a few noises of distress before playfully nudging Malie with his shoulder. When Vivi came out of the room he would then walk over to his friend and gave her a hug. “I’m glad you’re okay though. Has Eyes made any progress with Kukui’s lei?” He asked, before looking back at Kei.
“Which reminds me.. after we finish that talk we started, we gotta fill you in on a few things that have happened.”
-
"Talk?" echoed Ike. "What talk?"
"Eyes' experimenting with an idea we had about using the Network," said Vivi, taking a sip of her drink. "So far, it's the best we've got. More on that later."
Gazimon stepped forward. "Hey yeah," he said. "I'm startin' to remember stuff, too. Er, sorta. Remember how I ate Pe'amon n' how digimon can sift through absorbed mons' memories?"
"Yes," said Renamon. "Are you starting to remember?"
"Kinda," said Gaz, shrugging. "Jus' wanted to put that out there. I'll keep ya posted."
"Heheh, context is fun," said Gammamon.
-
“Good.. can’t wait to hear what you remember.” Al said as he gently pat Gazimon on the head as he then gave a cough to clear his throat.
“Well you all know that Keilani is a tamer now, and she knows we are all tamers too. So sis.. I think I speak for all of us that we could use all the help we can get. It’s probably gonna sound ridiculous.. but we,” and he would motion to his friends and their partners. “Are on a mission to save the world.”
-
"Just stop!" The group stared at Keilani. She was nursing her temples, glancing between each and every one of the others as her breathing grew faster and shallower. "Stop stop stop!" she said. "Save the world?! Wha--you're telling me everything without giving me a minute to process anything! Could you just slow down?"
Kei paused. Looking down, she found Malie was holding her hand.
"Take all the time you need," said the longhaired tamer, a soft smile on her face. "We'll go over everything with as many breaks as it takes."
Keilani motioned to speak, but found no words to say. Nodding, she took a seat on the sofa with Ike, with the others following suit.
...
Two hours, later...
"So you each brought a Ki'i back to our world," said Kei. "And five years later, they're somehow helping clog the INAS?"
"Pretty much," said Ike. "Like we said, Kuku's been helping with this program of his, though Vivi's still trying to make sense of the details."
Vivi didn't respond, the spectacled tamer nodding off where she sat as she pulled a Malie.
-
“And If we can find Lonomon, hopefully retuning him back to the digital world will stabilize the Server and start to undo the damage that’s be happening. But that’s the problem.. well one of our problems. We don’t know where he is.. and ti make matters worse.. Malie’s partner is missing and we haven’t been able to figure out where he’s gone—yet.”
And he sat a hand on his sisters leg. “That’s why we could use your help, kaikuaʻana..”
-
Keilani shook her head, her attention drifting towards Gammamon as the ceratops lay sprawled on the floor, basking in the sunlight from the nearby window. "You guys have no idea what's going on." she said, almost under her breath.
"You'd you figure?" asked Gaz.
"The Kumulipo Server is just one of millions of different sub-dimensions that form up the Digital World. Like planets, they orbit one another depending on proximity and size, and in order to maintain said-size, they require energy in the form of data. Data then acts like a form of pseudo-gravity to them, causing smaller servers to potentially even crash into bigger ones."
"Where are you going with this?" asked Renamon.
"The Network is the 'space' between the servers, as well as other dimensions in space-time. When our world started digitizing data, it somehow translated into the Network, which gave the Digital World more to feed on and thus expand. The more data we digitize, the more servers will grow and be drawn into our figurative 'gravity well'. Right now, Hawaii's getting too close to the Kumulipo Server, which is why both worlds are converging."
-
Alemana was quiet at that, but he would then say, almost matter-of-factly. “It was bound to happen.. all things considered. That doesn’t change the fact that we still need to rescue Lonomon..”
-
Keilani shot Al a narrow-eyed look. "Don't you get it?" she said. "Even if you get Lonomon back, what good will it do to stop the convergence? We're talking about Hawaii getting swallowed up and dumped into a completely different dimension, where the laws of physics are dependent on who's in charge!"
"But if we don't, Kumulipo's gonna die."
"Gaz," said Ike, the Samoan resting a hand on his partner's shoulder. The chimera didn't look away from Keilani.
"You ever lost a home, lady?" he asked, his voice level and clear. "Even if it got washed away, you'd still have an island to go back to... but, mine ain't comin' back."
"Gaz's right," said Malie. "If we do nothing, every digimon that calls Kumulipo home is gonna become a refugee or die."
-
“And we made a promise that we were going to do whatever we could to save their home. This dimensional convergence is problem ..but it doesn’t change our mission… just expands the scope of it. I told ya.. we’re trying to save a world Sis!” He then would quietly ask “Did you get all this information from CODE..?”
-
Keilani's gaze fell to the floor. "Yes," she said. "I know someone back on Oahu. He's the reason I knew enough on how to keep under the radar, because he's got connections with them."
Vivi jolted her head up, mid-snore. "Insider info?! Does that mean you know how CODE's gonna deal with the INAS?!"
"No," said Kei. "And I'm not gonna ask him. He'd only get into more trouble than he already is."
-
“Well, anything you do know will be good enough for now..” Al said as he then gently squeezed Renamon’s paw.
“But will you help us, sis?”
-
"I..." The astronomer glanced over at Gammamon. The ceratops was clasping his claws together, eyes glimmering above a smile. "I only promise to try," she said, looking down.
Renamon returned the squeeze on Alemana's hand. "Thank you, Keilani," she said. "Perhaps by finding Lonomon, both he and the other 'Akua can help us save both worlds."
Kei nodded, though there was little energy behind it. Rising from her seat, she excused herself as she left for the bathroom.
"Keilani's scared," said Gammy. "She'd never admit it, but I can tell..."
-
Al would watch her leave, and he would nod at Gammamon. “She’s not the only one.” And he would then walk to the bathroom, gently knocking on the door.
“Sis.. are you okay?”
-
"I'm fine," he heard her say. "I'll be out in a minute."
-
He would furrow his brow, and gently placed his ear to the door. “Are you sure?”
-
"There's only so much I can say, Al. I told you the risks, and promised to help. I just... I need some time to think."
-
And he rested his head against the door. “I know. Funny how our lives turned our huh..?”
-
As the teen pushed against the door, he heard something on the other side of it slide down towards the floor.
"Yeah," said Keilani. "Feels messed up, doesn't it? One day everything's normal, and then you're in the middle of something nobody bothered to warn you about. I mean, how could they? It's crazy. Nobody could've seen this coming. Then you find out your little bro had the same thing happen to him when he was a preteen..."
-
And He felt himself also turning to sit again the door. “Tell mr about it. You have no idea how damn scared I was that I lost you for awhile..” he then sighed “But I’m so happy that I met Renamon. Not just Rena.. but Ike, Malie, and Vivi.. and their digimon too.”
-
"I know. And, I'd be lying if I didn't feel the same way about Gammy, or all the digimon we met getting back here."
As Keilani fell quiet again, Gammamon looked down at his feet, the white ceratops close enough to overhear the siblings. But there came a glint in his eye, his features lightening as he pumped his fists. "Renamon!" he said, throwing his claws up as he turned to face the vulpine. "I got an idea! We should fight!"
Renamon, having been leaning against a wall with her arms folded, tore her attention away from Alemana. "Fight?" she echoed. "Fight for what?"
"For fun!" cheered Gammy. "I wanna see who's better! You or me!"
"Ohohh, is that all~?" she asked, crouching down. "I dunno, Gammy, I'm pretty tough. Think you can keep up?"
"Yehhhh!"
-
Al turned his attention towards Renamon and Gammamon, his expression surprised “You want to fight for fun?” He asked, gently bumping the back of his head against the bathroom door. “Did you hear that sis?”
-
"He means sparring," said Kei. "And I'm not sure. Much as I like the idea of blowing off steam, there's not really anywhere we could go that'd be safe to do it."
"Sure there is," said Vivi, almost startling the others. Indeed, with half-lidden eyes and a dull smile, she loomed like a shadow, her coffee cup in hand.
"Does everybody missin' twenty winks turn ninja or somethin'?"
"Must be a human thing," mused Renamon, the vulpine giving Malie a sidelong glance.
Vivi continued. "So yeah, that program Kuku sent us added a new function to our digivices, remember? We can 'gate' inside any of the access nodes we set up. All we need is a screen or monitor hooked up to the internet."
"Wait, really?!" asked Ike. "Does it work both ways? Like can we get back to where we were once we're inside?"
"Pretty much. Haven't stressed test it, though."
-
“No I got that part sis…” and he then smiled as Vivi made Renamon proud with her stealth skills.
“There you have it.. and I know just where to go if we are gonna do this too.”
-
The group gathered around the main room's television as Keilani rejoined them. The light of the screen as Vivi turned it on made deeper the dark circles under her eyes as it lit up her face. Wincing from the sudden brightness, the tamer tapped on her digivice, making sure the others saw her accessing the Gate app as she held the camera up to the screen. Like the other apps Al had seen on his digivice, the Gate app became animated as it opened up. Shown as a metal ring, the app expanded as it moved towards the center of the screen, splitting into five segments that protruded outwards like the teeth of a key. The area within, however, became a vortex of every color under the sun, sucking in transparent pixels as they materialized out of the corners of the digivice. Except it didn't stop within the confines of the screen. Static clung to Alemana as parts of his body stretched towards the vortex, shrinking and thinning out like string from a spool! The teen couldn't look away, the world spiraling into a shining abyss as the cries of him and the others were drowned by the noise of server farms and PC modems!
Alemana blinked. He felt a *pop*, a sudden stop... then a rush of wind as he began falling.
[Roll Athletics]
-
Al would sit with everyone, curious to how the gate would function. “So I’d this supposed to be like a portal we can step through oooooOOOOOOOOH SHIII-“ Al cried as he was pulled through.. a sense of panic overtaking him
[Rolling: 5 1 3 + 9= 17]
-
Ever quick on his feet, Alemana managed to catch himself before he met the ground five feet below from where he started. Renamon would landing right at his side, just to grab him and spin on her heel as the pair dodged the rest of the party. Ike would land face first, cushioning Gazimon's fall, who in turn cushioned Malie. Vivi would have suffered the same fate had Keilani not grabbed her at the last second, the two standing tall.
"KABOOM!!" cheered Gammamon overhead, the ceratops flapping his wings as he circled the group. "That was fun!"
"Did somebody say KABOOM~?!!"
Everyone turned their attention outwards. From on high fell sheets of confetti as fanfare erupted from the dark. Suddenly, the world was alight with neon as the floating terraces and pinball rails of CatchMamemon's arcade theme park came to life. And from it all descended the metal ball digimon in their UFO catcher, the machine's gloved hands each spinning a noise maker.
"Hello players~!" said Catchy. "Welcome back to Catchiest place on the Network!"
"Woah!" said Gammy. "A digimon with a space ship!"
"What's this? A new challenger approaches? Well how do you do! I'm CatchMamemon, and this is Catchy Kingdom!"
"I don't know what that is! But I'm Gammamon! And with your flying saucer, we will go on adventures to the moon!"
"I think I'm gonna need a chiropractor," mumbled Ike.
-
Hugging Renamon, he would softly kiss her muzzle as everyone landed. "Thank you, Renamon." He then would help Malie, and then Ike up "Are you guys okay?" he asked, before then smiling as Gammamon.. and then Catchy descended.
"Hey, Catchy! Gammamon wants to do a little practice match with Renamon.. do you have an arena that we could use?"
-
"Do I?!"
Pulling at the controls, CatchMamemon punched the saucer's gloved fists together. In the blink of an eye, the surrounding environment flickered and shifted, changing from a pinball rink to beneath a Ferris wheel, a festival ground with rows upon rows of concession stands, to the shoulder of giant statue, and then some. It all came to an end when they arrived at the center of a stone amphitheater, surrounded by statuary of Catchy without his saucer.
"Welcome to arena!" chimed Catchy. "Like the décor? I'm not settled on it, but I think people'll love the classy atmosphere!"
"Did we teleport here?" asked Vivi. "There's no way you could've shifted the entire node that fast, right?"
"Bingo bango! Normally I'd give you the tour via capsule ball, but since half you guys've already been there, done that, I felt I'd show off my admin privileges instead!"
"Hmmm, this feels a little much," mused Renamon, tail teasing at Al's calf. "But I can't complain about having plenty of space to work with."
"I've never been inside a place like this," said Keilani. "Feels like you could fit everyone in Hilo here, with room to spare."
-
Al would look around once they popped back into existence, a glimmer of wonder in his eyes. “It is impressive, not gonna lie.” He said as he playfully knocked his hip against Renamon’s in response to her tail as he looked over his shoulder at his sister. “This is the third one we’ve been in, and they’ve all been completely different from each other. This one is the most.. developed I guess?.. one we’ve seen so far though!” He then would look up at Gammamon
“You think this could work?”
-
"Yeah!" said the ceratops. "This'll be awesome! Let's do it! Let's do it! WOOOOH!!" Without warning, the white digimon became incandescent with red light. Rings of data spun into existence to envelope him in a cocoon. "Gammamon! Digivolve to--BETELGAMMAMON!!"
A wave of heat rushed past the group, people shielding their eyes as the cocoon exploded. Peeking from behind the cover of his arm, Al beheld the creature that now stood before them. It was as tall as Renamon, with the head of a ceratops, just like Gammamon. Yet the horns of its forehead were longer, tipped in black and yellow. Said-yellow accented the head crest, whilst its body's white scales were a brilliant red save for the area around the mouth, chest, and the long singular stripes that stretched down the length of the arms and legs. All of this in sharp contrast to the blue scarf it wore, billowing in the wind of its digivolution.
"WOOOOOH!!" cheered BetelGammamon, clenching his fists akimbo before punching the air. "FINALLY!! I've been meaning to get some action in here! Kei-girl! What's happening?! Ready to see some FIREWORKS?!!"
Renamon blinked. "Gammamon?" she asked.
"BetelGammamon!" said the ceratops, a smirk on his face as he gave her a thumbs up. "Wassup? Ready to go supernova? Cuz I'm-on-FIRE~!!"
-
Alemana was just a surprised by this complete change of demeanor from Gammamon to his champion form.. and he glanced at Renamon with a shrug, and then a smirk. “Well.. we can’t disappoint him now can we Rena?” He asked as he then took out his digivice.
“Ready?”
-
"Always," said Renamon, the vulpine smiling as she approached Betel. As she too underwent digivolution, Al noticed Keilani pull out her own digivice. Its coloration was opalescent, a rainbow luster of chaotic hues ever shifting with the light of its surroundings.
"Renamon! Digivolve to--Kyubimon!!"
"Huh, another fire digimon," said Keilani. "At least we don't have to worry about either getting burnt."
"Ohh, now we're talking!" said Betel. "Those flame-tails better not be just for show! I wanna see you go all out!"
"Mhmhm, careful," said Kyubimon. "Keep talking like that, and I'll think you're serious."
A shadow fell over the two. Looking up, they saw CatchMamemon hovering with flags in both mechanized hands.
"Combatants!" they said. "This is a one-on-one battle between Kyubimon and BetelGammamon! If you are knocked out of the arena, you lose! If you are pinned or otherwise rendered unable to fight to the count of 10, you lose! Endangering non-combatants is also grounds for immediate disqualification! Game starts in 3... 2... 1... GO!!"
An air horn blasted off in the distance as the lights on Catchy's UFO flashed. In an instant, fox and ceratops launched forward.
[Roll Initiative!]
-
“I wouldn’t be too worried, Kyubimon’s got a couple tricks up her tails,” Al said as he then gently scratched under her chin. “Don’t be too rough now, babe” he said quietly as he then kissed her nose.
“Let’s do this!”
[rolling: 3 4 4 + 11= 22]
-
The nine-tails smiled as she leaned into the teen's scratching, only to wink as she made for the center of the arena.
[Rolling: 2 4 3 +11 = 20]
[Aight, Kyubimon goes first]
-
Giving her rump a soft pat as she moved forward, he would then grin as she then rushed forward for her first move, wreathing her entire body in green-pink flames!
”Foxfire Slipstream!”
[Rolling: 1 1 6 3 2 6 4 2 5 3 6= 4 suxx]
-
[Dodge:
1 3 3 3 2, 1 4 3 5 3, 2 4 6 = 2 suxx = Hits = [(11 +2) -9] = 4 damage. Betel suffers the Weakened condition for 3 rounds.]
The nine-tails lunged for the ceratops, only to watch as Betel side-stepped out of the way. Their eyes locked as they passed each other, a smirk shared between them. In that moment, when Kyubimon's forepaws landed, the vulpine spun a 180, channeling her momentum into her tails as she used them to swat Betel across the face.
"Betel!" called Keilani. "Don't get cocky! Bigger doesn't mean slow!"
"We're just getting started!" laughed the red ceratops, even as foxfire clung to him. Kyubimon's eyes narrowed. The flames on her opponent's body began flowing towards Betel's palms, shifting from green-pink to sunset orange. "Sol Blow!" he roared, launching a barrage of black-clawed fists wreathed in fire!
[4 2 1 4 1, 1 5 6 6 5 5 = 5 suxx]
-
Alemana would cheer when she scored the first hit “Atta girl! You get him Kyubi!” He said as Betel tried to attack her in return, and she attempted to twist out of the way.
[Rolling: 5 3 2 2 6 5 1 6 2 4 5= 5 suxx]
-
Swift as she could, Kyubimon jumped out of the way, only to find another volley of strikes waiting for her. The heat between the two left a haze in the air, Betel's punches ever shifting with the flames that danced across his scaled hide. Keeping track of where they were and by how much distance was like fighting a shadow made of light. A mirage of distance and motion. Only the intensity of the heat kept Kyubimon aware of the trap, the nine-tails pulling back when she felt the fire's glow was near enough.
"You're pretty good!" said Betel between punches. "Think you can keep it up?"
-
Dodging amazingly gracefully for such a large four legged creature, Kyubimon would then give a foxy smirk as she then leaped back, unfurling her tails as a dragon of flame manifested. ”Thirsting Dragon Wheel.”
[Rolling:2,4,6,2,6,2,5,6,2,4,6= 5 suxx]
-
[Dodge: 3 6
1 4 4 2 3 1 2 2, 4 3 1 6 2 = 2 suxx = Hits = [(11 + 3) - (9 - 3)] = 8 damage. Kyubi lifesteals for 3]
Realizing only now how point blank a target he was, Betel threw his arms up in a cross-guard. Wide went the illusory dragon's maw as it fell upon him, swallowing the red ceratops whole!
"BETEL!!" cried Keilani, her digivice glowing white.
Yet once again, the flames shifted color. Dancing and whirling, they spiraled into a sphere that pulled itself apart, deforming Kyubimon's dragon as Betal formed them into a pair of fireballs. One in each palm.
"Hell yeah," he chuckled, a broad smile on his face. Suddenly, the curtain of smoke between him and the nine-tailed fox shifted. That was all the warning Kyubimon got as the red ceratops raced forward. "SOL SHOT!!" He roared. Instantly, a shrieking din filled the air as pinpricks of crimson light broke through the smoke. In less than a heartbeat they grew to the size of tennis balls as they sped right towards Kyubimon - In that same moment, the vulpine's ears twitched. Glancing upward, her eyes widened as she saw BetelGammamon falling towards her, his right fist clenched and burning. "SOL BLOW!!"
[Sol Shot: 4 6 6 3 4, 6 2 4 5 6 2 = 5 suxx]
[Sol Blow: 3 6 1 3 6, 5 3 4 3 1 3 = 3 suxx]
-
Alemana would look at Keilani in confusion.. she was getting weirdly serious when the fight wasn’t even that big of a deal: it was a friendly spar to help the Digimon unwind. “Hey, it’s gonna be okay sis, Kyubimon’s not gonna hurt him that bad-“ he then felt the jump in surprise from Kyubimon at what was happening, and his eyes flicked back to the fight. “Woah- be careful Kyubi!” He called out, and his partner would give a nod as she then would leap towards the balls of flame.. twisting midair as her own flames wreathed her body, as if she as trying to use them as a shield against Betel’s attack.
[Rolling dodge:6,4,6,3,2,4,6,6,6,6,4= six suxx= miss]
And this paid off- the flames canceled each other out just in time for Betel’s next attack. As he fell towards her.. she would bend in midair, turning to avoid his fist!
[Rolling Dodge:2,1,6,3,3,6,2,4,4,5= 3 suxx= miss]
And again she managed to avoid another blow from the scarlet skinned ceratopsian. Not only that, as she acrobatically avoided his punch, her tails lashed out like a flame topped flail!
[Rolling counterattack:6,5,4,6,5,6,6,6,2,3,6= 8 suxx!]
-
[Dodge = 1/2: 3 4
2 1 1, 5 1 2 = 1 suxx = Hits = [(11+7) - (9-3)] = 12 damage. Betel Weaken state resets to 3 turns.]
Betel stared at the empty space where Kyubimon had been, his brow furrowed as his punch met with nothing. Movement from Kyubimon drew his attention, a vacant look in his eyes before being swatted by a flaming fan of nine tails. What proceeded to happen was like watching a skipping stone on water, save the water was solid ground, and the stone was exclaiming with every bounce he made.
Gazimon and Ike clicked their tongues as they sucked air through their teeth, wincing in unison.
"Ooooh," said Ike.
"That's gonna smart somethin' fierce," said Gaz.
Meanwhile, after landing flat on his back, Betel sat up just to rub the back of his head. "Wow, what a punch," he said, grunting.
-
And Kyubimon would gracefully land, a self satisfied look on her face as she waited for him to get back up, tails lazily flicking to and fro. Al would also wince as Betel hit the ground, and he would then call out. “You okay? You wanna keep going?”
-
The ceratops chuckled, admiring the dirt now on his knuckle after brushing it from his jawline. "Nobody champ-level's ever been able to keep up with me," he said. His smile then went to a toothy grin as he stared up at Kyubimon. Balling his fists, the red ceratops began trembling in place.
"Betel?" said Kyubimon, tilting her head. Only Al would know how close to flinching she'd been when Betel jumped upwards, fist in the air as he cheered his heart out.
"YEEAAA--ack!!" he stopped, wincing as he grabbed at the small of his back. "My back!" he said, wheezing like an old man. A forced smile worked its way back onto his face as he started hammering the injured area. "Must've landed on my tail funny. But enough about me, that was some kickass action, girl! I was all like fwoosh FWOOSH!! Petoo petoo!! And you were all FWOOM! Wa-wuh-wah SWAT!! I should be so MAD about right now!"
"Mhmhm, are you~?"
"Nah girl! Well, maybe, but in a good way!"
-
At first Al would grow tense when Kyubimon did.. but he could feel that familiar surge of exhilaration as his connection to Kumon. But when Betel looked like he was going to attack, only to stall.. and start laughing.. well Alemana started to laugh too.
“Not to brag, but Kyubimon’s not your average Champ. She’s the shit- she’s super strong.”
-
The image of Renamon bench pressing Alemana with her eyes closed snuck into the tamer's mind. A side-long glance from Kyubimon was all it took for him to realize it wasn't by accident.
"Brah," said Betel, bouncing on his feet. "We gotta do this more often! No holding back! No playing soft boiled! Just winging it with all we got!"
Keilani started walking towards her partner. "Take it easy, B." she said. "We can practice here, but no going overboard."
"Huh? Well I mean, yeah," said Betel, the ceratops scratching the back of his head. "Not gonna risk a blow up... again--but yeah! You're lucky I didn't get to use my super awesome move, Kyub! Would've blown you outta the park!"
"Oh?" said the nine-tails. "It's too bad. Might have won you the round."
Betel chuckled, rubbing a claw under his nose.
-
And that made his cheeks heat up from the mental image. (“We definitely are gonna have to soundproof our rooms tonight babe.”) he said as he then looked at both digimon “So.. are we good?” He asked, glancing towards Malie.
“Because we could also use your help in helping us find Malie’s partner, Kukuimon.”
-
Kyubimon's chuckle echoed inside the teen's head.
"Totally!" laughed Betel.
"It was a lot of fun," said Kyubimon, smiling.
On hearing Al's request, Keilani glanced over at Malie. "His name's Kukuimon?" she asked, getting a nod from the longhaired tamer. "Well, knowing what we do about there being KoDokugumon in Hilo, I'd say looking into them might be a good place to start."
"You think they might be responsible?" asked Malie.
"Maybe, but even if they don't, they might know something that can help. Assuming they're trustworthy."
-
He would gently stroke her muzzle before he felt a eureka moment when Keilani mentioned possibly getting help from the KoDokugumon: Al hadn’t thought of that.
“Hey you’re right- that might be a good idea.” He said as he then had a grin on his face. “We have contact info with Spinny after all!” And just to prove his point.. he would check his digivice’s contacts
-
And sure enough, Alemana found KoDokugumon "Spinny" listed.
("Would it be safe to call her here?") thought Kyubimon. ("I'm not sure just how far her mother's reach is, though I am concerned if it'll draw unwanted attention to CatchMamemon's node.")
-
(“I wasn’t going to call her here baby.”) he reassured her.
“But we should do that when we get back.”
-
"Make sure I'm there when you call her," said Keilani. "I'm not letting you guys go alone."
"Yeah!" said Betel, pumping his fists. "That way if there's trouble, we can go nuts on the pyrotechnics!"
"B, what have I told you about solving everything with fire?"
The red ceratops sighed, hanging his head as he put his claws behind his back. "Learn before burn," he said. "That mean you want Blue for this?"
"Blue?" echoed Kyubimon.
"I'll tell you guys later," said Keilani. "And no, B. I want what you need. And that's patience."
Betel rolled his eyes, looking in Alemana's direction.
-
Al looked back and forth between them, before glancing at Kyubimon with a look of confusion. (“must be some sort of trick up their sleeve, kinda like Karamon.”) he silently mused before nodding to what Kei had been saying. “I was planning on calling her with all of us present anyway, sis.” He said as he then turned his attention to CatchMamemon
“But that reminds me, I think it’s time for us to leave Catchy!”
-
Up till now, CatchMamemon had been hovering above the arena. A number of holographic screens floated above their saucer's control panel. On hearing their name, however, they gave a start, turning off their screens before flying down towards the group. "Aww," they said. "Already? Oh, and sorry about not calling the match. Minor system errors were cropping up."
"Wait," said Ike. "When you say errors, are we gonna have to worry about getting hit with something out've nowhere?"
"Ehhhhh--probably not," said Catchy, but as Ike tried to press for more details, the tiny digimon snapped their fingers. Suddenly, the world began to shrink into the distance, to be replaced by a warm darkness. "Catch you later~!"
Everything faded to white. Then, just as fast, the group were standing in the clubhouse, right where they had been before using the gate feature. This proved a trial for Kyubimon, as the giant vulpine near crashed into the nearby furniture as she got her bearings.
"Hey watch it!" said Gazimon as Kyubimon's flank slammed into him. The chimera back-peddled to keep his balance, but to no avail, instead flopping back onto the nearby foambag chair.
-
“Wait that doesn’t sound right— Oh god whyyyy” and then they were back, Al basically clinging to his big beautiful Kitsune as she basically hip checked Gazimon. Now they everyone was back.. he would then sigh
“So.. should I make the call now or..?”
-
"Sorry about that," said Kyubimon, a moment later turning incandescent as she changed back to Renamon. "Wasn't expecting the transition to be that fast."
"Yeah, I figured," mumbled Gaz.
"Let's try calling somewhere further off from the clubhouse," said Keilani. "Even if they can't track your digivice, there's always stuff in the background they can use to try pinpointing your location."
Vivi yawned. "Well if that's the case," she said. "Why not just make a call in the bathroom?"
"Is the bathroom here soundproof?"
"I dunno, I just work here."
-
“It’s okay baby, Gaz probably liked it,” he said, chuckling as he then thought about it. “Hmm.. it’s worth a shot. But I think maybe we should do the call somewhere that isn’t our HQ..”
-
A loud *THUMP* pulled everyone's attention towards the sofa, where Vivi was sprawled face down, limp as a noodle.
Renamon approached the downed tamer. "Vivi," she said, crouching over the girl. "You're gonna break your glasses doing stuff like that."
Vivi groaned, the only movement to be had being the rise and fall of her breathing. Smiling, Renamon eased the tamer's head up, slipping her spectacles off and resting them on the nearby coffee table.
"Wow," said Malie. "It's like looking in a mirror."
"Going back to what Al was saying," said Renamon. "I agree with both him and Keilani. We shouldn't risk anything if it's easy to remedy."
"Ugh," said Betel, arms folded. "You guys and your logic. But yeah, okay. Just so long as I don't gotta--"
"Change back, B," said Keilani. "There's no way you wearing a poncho in broad daylight won't draw attention."
The red ceratops did a double take. "Wha-? B-but Kei! I can totally do some roof hopping! You know how fast I can parkour!"
"Oh cool," said Ike. "You parkour, too? We should hang out."
"Hell yeah! See, Kei? Ike's a bro! He'd let me go!"
"You can parkour later," said Keilani. "This mission's serious."
-
Al would smile softly as he gently caressed the back of Vivi’s head as he then chuckled at BetelGammamon’s antics. After letting that back and forth go on for a few moments he would speak up.
“Anyway, anyone who’s going outside with me to make this call, let’s boogie.”
-
Betel sighed. "You're such a killjoy, Kei," he muttered. Like Kyubimon before, he then turned incandescent as he transformed back into Gammamon. At the same time, Renamon shapeshifted into Renee, holding Al's hand as she kissed the teen on the cheek.
Vivi raised her index finger. "Take Eyes with you," she said through the cushion. "Just in case...!"
...
The car was cramped. Even with Ike and Gazimon staying behind with Vivi, the back chatter Al had to deal with alongside traffic proved a trial.
"Woah!" said Gammamon. "Keilani, look! I've never seen a shadow with eyeballs before!"
"That's nice, Gammy. Now please, stay put!"
"OMG!" said Eyesmon. "He's soooo CUTE!! That little scarf've yours is perfect~!"
"First time I've ever had a shadow that talked," said Malie. "It's giving me ideas for Halloween."
Renee put a hand on Al's shoulder, rubbing it with her thumb. ("Any idea where we should go?") she thought. ("I was thinking maybe a park, but maybe that's too public.")
-
Al smiled at Renee, ignoring the look Keilani face them for a second before he lead the way to the car. “Thanks Vivi.”
———
And it definitely was a trial, and he was thankful that Renee was there to help him keep his mind off of the back chatter. (“I I think a park won’t be too bad a place, we’re just making a call after all. I doubt that will draw too much attention.”)
He then turned to look over his shoulder at the others.
“I think we should make the call in that park that’s just down the street s couple miles.”
-
"Awesome!" said Keilani, the astronomer struggling to keep Gammamon still on her lap. "There's a gazebo we can use that's just off the beaten path!"
"Gazebohhh!!" cheered Gammy, only for Kei to hold him by the shoulders till he surrendered.
After escaping the main street grind and parking, the group would scramble out of the car. Kei put her partner in timeout ala her duffle bag, with the ceratops poking his head out as he assumed plushie mode. Eyes proved far better at hiding in plain sight. Even possessing Malie's shadow, the dark dragon managed to subdue the opacity so she matched the others as they walked.
The gazebo was empty when they arrived, a classic straw roof over a railed, wooden platform. As the others climbed the steps and took to the seats built into the railing, Renee wrapped an arm around Alemana's waist.
("Want me to scout around?") she thought, leaning her head against his. ("Not sure how much security there'd be here... pretty romantic spot, actually.")
-
And once they were all at the Gazebo, Al would smile as he gently hugged his partner. (“I think it’s okay if you stay. You’re right, this place is pretty romantic.. well almost,”) he said with a chuckle as he looked at everyone
“Okay.. we ready to call?”
-
"Ready as we'll ever be," said Kei as she put Gammamon's bag on the floor. "Make the call, Al."
With nothing else for it, Alemana pulled out his digivice and called Spinny.
Booop... booop... booop...
"++Hello?++" came the spider's voice.
-
“Hey spinny, it’s me Al!”
-
"++Oh hi! Took you long enough to call back. Mama wants to talk to you!++"
-
“Wait, so soon?” He asked, looking at everyone… a look of befuddlement on his face.
“Where does she want to meet?”
-
"++One second++" said the spider. The faintest sound of shuffling could be heard through the digivice. Alongside the tapping of a keyboard. "++Okay! Mama's gonna meet you just outside the parking lot near the Seaside Tofu Shack. Try to be there in less than an hour, though, or else she gets mad++"
-
“The tofu shack? That’s a little random but.. okay!” He then would lock eyes with Malie at that very second.. and he would then add. “I’d like to ask a favor from you Spinny. Can you try to see if anyone has seen a Kukuimon off by themselves?”
-
"++A Kukuimon?++" echoed Spinny. "++You mean the one you hang out with?++"
-
“…Yes.”
-
("They know about Kukuimon?") thought Renee. ("Just how long have they been watching us?")
Spinny continued. "++I make no promises but to ask mama about him. Just remember: when you meet mama, don't push her buttons. She's got a baaaaaad temper++"
-
(“We have to assume so..”)
That made him frown slightly in thought. “I gotcha..”
-
"++Alrighty then++" chirped the spider. "++See you soon~!++" The line was cut soon after. Yet as Alemana was left to explain the situation to the others, elsewhere, Spinny turned away from the laptop she'd been working on in the dark. "Okay, mama," she said. "They're on their way. Does this mean I'm off the hook now?"
From the dark motioned the silhouette of a woman resting against a leather seat. "Three-of-Eight," she said. "Darling, when have I ever been lenient about someone in this family blowing their cover? I can still smell the seasoning on your breath."
"P-please, mama! I promise it won't happen again!"
"See that it doesn't. For now, let mother do what mother does best," the subtle curl of the woman's lips turned into a smile. "Negotiate..."
CHAPTER COMPLETED
Family Reunion! +2 EXP +2 DP
The CODE! +1 EXP +2 Inspiration
Web of Intrigue! +1 EXP +1 Inspiration
Solar Maximum! +2 EXP +2 DP +1 Inspiration
Total: 6 EXP, +4 DP, + 3 Inspiration!