AlteredTundra

Edenridge

TIMESTAMP: Flashback, Yesterday (July 18th)

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“I like shooting things.”

Why did that sentence alone frighten Marco? Not in the way that made him not want to keep this new budding friendship he was starting to develop with Poppy -- no, definitely not in that way, but rather his unexplainable curiosity. Like he actually wanted to know what she meant by that. Was it an actual gun? Or maybe it was about video games? Poppy didn’t strike him as the type that would be into that sort of thing, not like Lolly was, anyway. But then again, he didn’t think she really paid attention to his Rock Lee presentation back in high school nor had the same dorky personality he had, so maybe there was a lot about Penolepe James that Marco didn’t know yet.

Once they finished up eating, Marco offered to pay. Seemed like Poppy was against it. They had a bit of a back and forth. Marco was pretty adamant to pay for it all, but Poppy was equally so. After about a minute of passionate debating, they agreed to split it. Marco paid for what he ordered, Poppy paid for what she ordered, but Marco insisted she let him handle the tip, which of course was twenty-five percent. As a service worker himself, though in a very different way than what The Hole was, Marco knew just how important tips were. He didn’t get them, but he refused to undertip. Overtipping was probably a bad habit of his, but it didn’t matter: the deed was done.

The time spent sitting down had done wonders to Marco’s leg because it wasn’t hurting as much when they left the Hole. It wasn’t a long trek from it to Swerve Arcana. Or at least, it wasn’t a long trek going into Westwood. Marco had taken the journey from his house on Scott Street to his oasis outside of his gaming PC setup, especially since he has been slowly but surely getting into better shape so many times that he had the right rhythm down to an artform that caused him minimal pain. He was just thankful that Poppy didn’t mind the slower pace.

Even before they stepped inside, Marco could hear the sounds that filled his heart with such a glee that he smiled at Poppy. “Get ready to have your world blown!” He excitedly muttered, walking at a quicker pace, which probably was normal speed for those who weren’t a literal limping man. When he opened the doors, all the familiar sounds that made him so happy showed in his beaming smile. The first person Marco saw was Avery and he nodded towards her. “Hey Avery! How’s it?”

Avery, as always, was reading something. This time she was scrolling on her phone down an article about the blockbuster film, Divided We Stand, which tied with Avengers: End Game for highest grossing film. She couldn’t wait for the next movie, seeing how this one ended on a cliffhanger and everything was going to shit. No spoilers, of course. When she heard a familiar face call her name, she placed her phone screen down on the counter and glanced up at Marco. Her eyes didn’t stay on him for too long when, to her surprise, she saw who he was with. Officer James’ little girl, Penelope James.

This required her full and undivided attention. “Hey homie,” she bobbed her head in greeting. Since it was late in the day, she really did not give a fuck, so Avery Kaine stepped a little back to give herself momentum.

3… 2…. 1!

Rolling over the counter, like the fool she was, reckless and wild, until she not so gracefully landed on her feet on the other side, she caught her footing and muttered, “Woah.” Adjusting herself, she grabbed her vest by the edge of the shoulders and acknowledged the presence of Poppy, “I see you’ve brought a friend! Sup, I’m—”

“Avery Kaine, I know who you are,” Penelope responded matter-of-factly. Sure, it was a bit socially awkward but Poppy wasn’t going to pretend she was a charming wordsmith. If anything, she was still getting used to socializing without her face mask on.

“Damn, am I popular?”

Penelope’s reaction to Aves’ response was a playful headshake. This girl was certainly an oddity in Edenridge. Unapologetically herself in the goofiest, weirdest ways. Poppy liked that. “Aside from you being close to my dad’s cop buddy, you actually got me out of a pickle freshman year.” Poppy stared at the older woman, with those big, curious, and pretty brown eyes, assessing Aves facial expression which seemed to be left in a complete state of shock. As Pops waited for a response, she brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and looked around. This place was kind of big in retrospect. The exterior was a little misleading. Made it out to be a lot smaller than it actually was.

Meanwhile, in Averyland, she was stuck on the fact that someone that wasn’t in her year recognized her, outside of Swerve. Avery didn’t think her hanging with Clay was that noticeable since he always came to her. He knew where to find her. Sure, he was a once-upon-a-time Elite and now a rookie cop paired with Rocky from the SSS. But still! She didn’t do much. All she ever did was go for the ride and be a vibe. It was her philosophy to have no worries and coast through life completely under the radar, right here in Swerve.

How did that Wicked song go?

Dancing through life
Skimming the surface
Gliding where turf is smooth
Life's more painless
For the brainless
Why think too hard?
When it's so soothing
Dancing through life
No need to tough it
When you can slough it off as I do
Nothing matters
But knowing nothing matters
It's just life
So keep dancing through

Yeah. A good philosophy to live by for sure.

“Can’t say I remember…” Aves frowned apologetically, having no recollection of any incidents with the pale beauty during her senior year.

Having taken out a hair tie from Charlie’s jacket, Penelope started putting her hair up in a messy ponytail and admitted, “I don’t expect you to remember. A lot happened that year. It was in the girl’s bathroom by the library, you—”

“That’s fucking right! It was like a week before graduation and these bitches we’re teasing about how your dad was the reason your sister unlived herself.” When she said it outloud, she realized how dark the whole situation was. “I’m sorry, uh..” Avery became a deer in headlights, not knowing how to get herself out of this situation.

Fortunately, Penelope didn’t let her stumble on her words for much longer and expressed her gratitude, “I never did properly thank you for standing up for Max and me. So here it is, thanks. Your part of the reason why that year wasn’t completely shitty.”

“Anytime…” Anxiously tapping her foot, a sign that Avery wasn’t prepared for the gravity of this conversation, the nerd queen was quick to do the thing she was good at — entertain and leave the dark place right where it belonged, out the window, away from her, “So what brings you two here?! Want to read comics? Look at some animu boobies? Build a lego castle? Shoot nerfs at each other’s faces? Go into the fun zone and get your asses kicked at Space Invaders? TMNT? Mortal Kombat? DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION?!” There were so many things they could do and so little time.

As the exchange between Avery and Poppy went on, Marco just stood there, feeling maybe just a little bewildered only because he didn’t expect them to hit it off so well. He was relieved in a sense. Coming to Swerve, especially when he may have been feeling out of it himself, had always managed to center him in ways nobody else could. Only exceptions to that were Danny, his mother when she made Granny Carolina’s recipes, Lolly, and the people at Swerve. Even Oz, as wild as he was sometimes, whenever Marco was here and he was around, he could always smile at how he always behaved.

Swerve was the place that Marco didn’t have to worry about acting a little silly. He could embrace his true self here. Pretend to weave handsigns? Shout at the top of his lungs any thing from anime to comics? Marco could do that and there might be even a few people (usually Rosie and Avery) that would probably join him in that specific endeavor. So, really, it made him happy that Poppy was already feeling comfortable enough. Maybe it didn’t hurt that she seemed to have some kind of connection with Avery, but Aves was so damn likable that, honestly, it wasn’t hard to feel comfortable around her.

Looking at Aves, Marco perked up. “We just came back from a bite to eat at the Hole,” Marco said, rubbing his tummy for a moment and patting it a few times. “Pretty full but I don’t regret eating as much as I did.” He laughed, looking at Poppy when Aves finished all of her suggestions. “Welllll, I don’t know if Poppy has come here often — wait, have you?” He asked her. “I don’t think I ever asked. Cause I had this idea of doing some fun stuff to ease ya into the real fun stuff, but if you have, maybe we can skip the initiation.” Not like it was anything bad, but Marco remembered his and it was a bit of an adjustment.

Penelope shook her head to Marco’s question. “No, actually. I’ve past Swerve a lot but this would be the first time I’ve walked in. I know Avery from school… many moons ago.” Pocketing her hands in Charlie’s jacket, Poppy scanned the general vicinity and shrugged, “I guess we could check out the arcade room? Do you have air hockey?” Her green gaze went from Marco to Avery, before adding, “I’ve always wanted to try that.”

Near immediately, Aves answered, “Yeah, we got that, just over there,” she gestured to their right, her left, all the while leaning her backside on the counter, “Follow the red arrows and bam, you’ll be in The Zone.” She paused, giving herself a big ol’ stretch before continuing, “Oh, and Marco should know where the change machine is. We take quarters.” Just another way for Swerve to stay in business. Quarters and games. “If you have any questions, I’ll be out here. And if you’re big on reading, maybe your boy could introduce you to a cool story or two. Here at Swerve, there’s a story for everyone.”

“I’d like that,” Poppy smiled at Aves before bringing her attention to the boy beside her, “Lead the way?” The James girl politely asked, not wanting to enter deeper inside the store of nerdom without Marco as a guide. Truth be told, she had more confidence maneuvering throughout the library than at Swerve solely because she spent most of her childhood in the library. From babysitting Danny Boaz to waiting for her dad’s safe return, to Charlie’s safe return, Poppy had her places she spent a lot of time at and Swerve was not one of them. The library though? Just like Kylee Grimm, it was Poppy’s preferred place of research, reading, and reclusiveness.

As he led them away from Aves and onto a short adventure to the game area, Marco was all smiles. He moved slowly just because he was walking more than he should have today and that wasn’t even factoring in his late shift. All in all, Marco shouldn’t even be on his feet right now, but there was a rush of good vibes and pure adrenaline of being in his happy place carrying him along. Swerve made him happier than most places ever did. When he was here, he honestly felt like he did before the shooting. Before he was subjected to the limp life.

Marco had traced his steps along the arrows, stepping from edge to edge of the arrows. It was a different side of Marco. A side that not many got to see - the dweeb side. He stepped on the tip to the bottom of the arrows, making noises as he did. “Floor is lava! Floor is lava!” He repeated, glancing back at Poppy. His leg ached and he knew, in the back of his mind, Danny would kill him if he knew how much Marco was ignoring the stifling pain, but he was literally in the zone. There was no way he’d let himself be dragged down by a physical ailment that was moderate on the pain richter scale at best. In response, Penelope silently played along and followed Marco’s lead, stepping on the tip and tailing his pace.

Reaching their destination, Marco happily gestured to it. There was a singular air hockey table. He didn’t have much experience with air hockey and he definitely shouldn’t be doing it, but Marco was up for it if Poppy wanted to play a little hockey of the air. “And here we are! Not bad, right?” He grinned, herold-hiding-the-pain he felt. “The machine to get some quarters is over yonder~” He gestured to the machine against the back wall of The Zone where all one had to do was insert cash and select payment type (AKA you get quarters). “We have a good amount left over from dinner, so we can totally make the most of our time here!”

In time, they were both situated at one side of the hockey table. Penelope slid the paddle back and forth, back and forth, straight into her hands. “Let’s raise the stakes,” Her playful, competitive side took the surface. A side that hadn’t been seen in awhile. Clearly, she felt safe with her new friend. It helped that no one else was in the room. “Truth or Dare style. I get a point, you pick, I give. And same goes for if you get a point, I pick, you give. Could be fun! Since this is like,” Catching and holding the paddle in her right hand, she pulled out the puck from her slot, and dropped it in front of her, “Our first ‘date’.” She chuckled at how unusual this was for her. Since when did a southie take Marco Brady out on a friend date? Unheard of! Unreal! Unlikely. “You game?”

It took all of three moments for Marco to think it over. Three very short moments that was immediately followed up by a rather intrigued “you’re on!” from Marco. A grin was on his face. At Swerve, a different side came out in the young Brady. He was equally as competitive as Emil got at any given moment. Seldomly did anyone but Lolly see this side. She brought the best out in him in that sense. Always knew how to challenge him without being insulting. Marco did wonder if Poppy would be the same for him. Only time would tell on that one.

Taking a moment to prepare himself, Marco did a few stretches that he learned from PT. Making sure his leg was okay. When he didn’t hear or feel the cracks of pain, he took that as a good sign. “MacAttack vs Popalicious - let’s do it!” He was internally cringing at the on-the-spot nickname he just gave her but grinning like the dork he is externally.

“Okay, I’mma be real. That was like… just call me Popcorn Playa’ or something. Anything else...” She could see it on his face that he knew how cringy the nickname was. He was a dork and she was relieved he felt like he could be herself with her. With gradual ease, Penelope prepared to strike. Part of her was debating to hold back, the other part wanted to show Marco that she shouldn’t be taken as a weak competitor. She chose the latter and like the sharpshooter she was, she harshly hit the puck and it went zooming to the otherside.

Incredibly fast.

Slipping inches away from his hand and into the hole.

GOAL!

She fist bumped at her victory before putting her gamer face back on. “Truth or Dare,” she waited patiently for Marco to react to the speedy chain of events.

The resident gamer was too stunned to speak. “H-how did you do that?” Muttered a bewildered Marco, he slowly brought his blue gaze, one that was mixed of shock and literal awe, from the sight of the air hockey table (specifically his end) to Popcorn Playa’s end to Poppy herself. It had been over even before he had a chance to defend himself and Marco wasn’t no slouch when it came to Air Hockey. He wasn’t the fastest anymore (for obvious reasons), but he could still move around when he needed to, but Poppy just completely wiped the deck (of sorts) with him.

Still in that state of absolute shock, Marco just chuckled and then chuckled some more. He didn’t know she was so good and that was his own fault for underestimating her.

Never again.

With renewed focus and the dismay out of his mind, Marco grinned at his opponent that stood across from him. “Truth!” He answered back. Would he live to regret it? Possibly. Was he afraid of what she might ask? Also, yes maybe, but Marco was ready for whatever she had for him.

Penelope was never one to beat around the bush. Charlie knew that well. Those who knew her knew she wasn’t one to dance around subjects. If there was one thing she enjoyed it really getting to the root of a person. Over time, she’d find out things like their favorite food, their favorite hangout place, and their favorite movie, but what she really liked to know was their stories. Their experiences that made them who they were today. Marco would either like this about her or not, but there was no use in pretending to be someone she was not.

“Have you ever experienced heartbreak?” She bluntly put it. “If you have,” Briefly, she paused, absentmindedly circling the paddle around on the table. “Mind telling me about it? No pressure though! It’s just, I feel like pain, especially when it comes to the heart, really shapes a person. I’m curious, I guess.” Curious if they could relate. Curious if he understood pain maybe not to her extent, but enough to empathize with her. Curious about Marco. It was that simple.

“Well…” Marco hesitated. He looked down at the table, stalling for time. He looked at his paddle and slowly fished the puck from his end. He didn’t pull it out, but he had it in his hand. He didn’t know if this was something he was comfortable talking about. He and Danny were happy together now. They talked about their stuff. About what happened at junior prom. Marco was never one to hold onto grudges, anyway, so he never held it against Danny. Even if he did, it was past him. But talking about it so freely as during a game of truth or dare was a whole different matter altogether.

He spent a few extra moments in thoughtful silence. He occasionally looked up at Poppy, muttering some stuff, saying others that would further halt time. Even though he didn’t necessarily want to talk about it, the rules of the game were whoever loses the round, does the truth or dare asked of them. “It’s not exactly heartbreak in what you might consider traditional, but there was this boy. Back in high school, we were involved. Not publicly because he wasn’t the kind of person who wanted to be out like that.” For a lot of reasons, Danny never did. “I’ve known him since I moved to Edenridge with my family the summer before Freshman year. Seen him around. Got to know him that year and sophomore year, but things…escalated. We became… intimate the summer before junior year. Spent that entire year dating in secret. He never wanted to go public. Or maybe he was too afraid to?” Marco looked down again at the table as he put the puck beside his paddle. “It…may sound odd, but despite not being able to flaunt our relationship for everyone to see, I never cared about that sort of thing…Until I did.”

Just thinking about the pain that night caused him, no matter how much flex tape, duck tape, and fresh coat of paint was plastered all over it, that wound never went away. Marco still held the scar from that night. Shaking his head, Marco looked back at Poppy. “As it turned out, he didn’t feel the same way and we broke up around Prom that year. Kind of was the start of my own personal hell…” Marco chose not to mention it directly, but Charlie shooting him in the leg was the icing on that particular cake.

“Thank you,” Penelope genuinely gazed at the boy on the other side of the table, and complimented, “For being so real with me, even if I know it was part of the rules. Takes a lot of strength to go back in time like that. And I get it, I really do.” Penelope positioned herself, preparing to defend her goal, knowing it was nearing time for them to continue the battle. “Like my father, I wished Charlie and me…”

Glancing down, imagining his goofy smile and all the what ifs she thought about when he was alive, Poppy was lost in her head, unintentionally dazing out. She could see it now, he’d become a writer like he always wanted to and she’d be his editor, maybe they’d marry right out of highschool and move to Colorado, like they joked about. Maybe he’d say it openly and often, maybe he’d say he loved her. In the morning. In the shower. In the car. From afar. From a letter. From a recording. Before they went to bed, after they slept together, and in her dreams. She shouldn’t have waited. It was her fault they weren’t together and it was her fault he lost his way. Even with her trying to convince herself that he chose his wolf, he chose, he made that decision, she knew deep down that it was her fault. She didn’t love him strongly. She didn’t need him fiercely. She didn’t show him that from when they were kids to the day he died, she wanted him. She still wanted him. It was always him. And unfortunately, heartbreakingly, it still was. It’s always been him.

And yet, like Marco, she wanted to respect the wishes of the man she loved. He had too much on his plate. Too much to carry. Maybe he was scared. Scared of changing what they had because what they did have was good. It was constant. It was theirs. But her heart had a wish, her own ghost that was what she wanted, and she wished they… “...loved each other recklessly, foolishly, and so loudly, just like my dad with my mom. I wished we didn’t act like there wasn’t anything between us. I wish a lot of things, Marco. But I know there’s no point.” She picked up her paddle and dropped it on the table, causing a loud clap noise before shifting her pensive mood back to game mode, “The past is the past and ain’t nothing we can do about it. We’re here now! And it’s your turn to serve, MacAttack.”

For the longest time, Marco used to think there was no point. The entire year after the shooting and when he was in recovery and PT, he had periods when he used to think there was no point in it all. That he would never be himself again. That no amount of small moments of joy would bring him the relief that was the suffering he felt all of senior year and even most of the past year. But within the past month alone, he’s come to believe differently. Talking to Jill, spending time with his family more, reuniting with the love of his life, and then working at his dream job -- all of it was slowly but surely piecing back together the person he was. He may not be the same, but Marco knew it in his heart that the light was returning.

As he prepared to set up the next round, Marco knew he had to say something. “I don’t know how much it’ll help, but it’s not for nothing. I don’t know nor will I pretend to know what it’s like for you and the feelings you have, but take it from somebody who had zero intention of living life again: it does and will get better. I think we slowly piece back our broken pieces, but we’ll never be the same again. It’s like…” Almost laughing as the first thing that came to him was something that only Poppy would appreciate. “When Rock Lee was injured in his fight against Gaara, he was told he’d never be able to train or fight again, but he did both of those things. Perhaps not as well as he did before, but he didn’t give up.” It all came back to that presentation, but there were so many lessons one could take away from Naruto. Marco was proving that.

“Anyway, that’s all I wanted to say.” Marco positioned the puck in front of his handle and turned his somber frown into a competitive grin. “Now it’s time for Mac to attack!” When he saw that Poppy was ready (or as ready as she’ll ever be), Marco hit the puck as hard as he could, not wanting to let the past repeat itself. Whether a game of air hockey or at the game of life, both Marco and Poppy would push back with all they had in them.

They were fighters who were no longer lost.

Digimon: The Parallel Visage

@metanoia @Fish of Oblivion @Slamurai Checking in on you guys, how's it hanging? Well, I hope?

@JDubs @Mole @The World I intend on getting my first post up this Saturday. I also wanted to ask - you want your partners at the Server Tree, hiding by the Server Tree, or about to come across your humans?

@RBYDark

Gonna be working on my character now! TOok me a bit longer than i would've liked to settle on an idea .

Of Data and Code - A Digimon Story

It's so hilarious to me how it's two different cases of this too. Trent, much like myself, just literally hates public speaking and has so much anxiety because of it.

Digimon: The Parallel Visage

<Snipped quote by metanoia>

Yeah, that's the human world. Habit of mine.

<Snipped quote>

Thanks for the compliment! As for the items, yeah, they're more like the canonical weapons/armor other digimon would have. And they'd be activated by possessing the item. I did forget to mention, the digivice can also store a limited amount of items. Otherwise - well, let's use my planned NPC Kotemon as an example. I mentioned an item called the Chromatic Drill - let's equip it onto her. She could either have a handheld drill item, which she hang off the sash at her waist when not in use, or she could have the upper half of her shinai replaced by the drill. She can now use the drill to perform a digging attack, burrow, or pierce armor. Now let's give her the Brave Shield, which is the name of Wargreymon's shield. She won't get any of Wargreymon's moves, but she will get a shield she can use to defend against most attacks. Since the shield doesn't have anywhere she can store it, she could theoretically hand it off to Sierra, JDub's partner mon. She can no longer use the Brave Shield until she gets it back. This differs from the Deva boons, which will be inherent in the digivice and only require the tamer to call for them.

So, in short, they're weapons/armor/items other digimon might have possessed, and they're activated via possession of the item. Does that make sense?

@RBYDark

Sorry for the late reply. Been a bad mental week for me, but that definitely clears things up for sure! I like that addition. I think it'll definitely a lot to the overall experience and would be fun if we had, like a bird digimon who got some sort of big ass cannon on their back Like an x-antibody form without needing that x antibody

Anyway, I'll definitely try and get my sheet up this weekend! I even have something of an idea i think!

Of Data and Code - A Digimon Story

And there's finally a post from me! Sorry it took a bit longer than I promised. Definitely hasn't been the best week but I'm doing much better, so I should be around a lot more! :)

Of Data and Code - A Digimon Story

Trent Abbott & Arthur, the Gotsumon

_{Location: Some Beach}

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"Trent! Trent, wake up damn it!" Arthur shouted, shaking an unconscious Trent, who lay face down in the oddly-colored sand.

As Arthur continued to try and shake his partner, not only did it prove to be useless in this case because, as he knew from first-hand experience, Trent was a heavy sleeper. Quite literally because of his partner, when the boy was asleep, he did so like a rock. Almost nothing would force him to open his eyes.

Well, almost nothing. Arthur knew a trick to get his sometimes lazy partner to see things his way. It may not be right, but sometimes the Gotsumon had to take the rocky approach when it came to Trent Abbott.

Arthur took a stance beside Trent, standing exactly three feet away from the unconscious boy, he bent down and shouted, "Rock Fist!" A small rock flew from his head, much smaller than it usually was. It was more like a small pebble than anything else, but at the speed it flew and aimed for Trent's forehead, there was just the right amount of force to not-so-gently nudge Trent awake.

"Ouch!" Trent exclaimed, rolling on his back, his left hand holding his forehead. He blinked, almost being blinded by the bright sunlight and Trent looked around, noting the faint sounds of the water crashing against the shore. "What the--" Trent surveyed his surroundings, this time being slightly more aware of what he saw. There was a beach. And some pink sand? That wasn't normal. Weren't he and Arthur in his room just a minute ago?

Looking around, Trent couldn't help but note that they weren't alone. Other kids. And a really younger kid with other creatures. Trent didn't know if they were the same kind of creature...Digimon that Arthur was, but was that too far of a reach? Speaking of..

"You did it again, didn't you?" Trent glared at his Gotsumon. "I told you my head is not to be used as target practice!"

"Well, what was I supposed to do? you never wake up when I shake your shoulder, Trent! I had no other choice!"

As much as he wanted to argue, Trent understood that it couldn't be helped and he honestly didn't want to argue, especially not with Arthur. Trent didn't like to argue, or at least, he didn't know how to stand firm to make the argument last longer than the other person making a point and he ended up conceding. He never felt like there was any point in him arguing. Everyone had the better side, anyway. It felt too much of a hassle, but Arthur always tried to tell him that wasn't always the case.

Talk about a difficult assignment.

Trent finally got up and Arthur smiled, doubtless happy that Trent decided to stop being in his head. It was rare, but he could do that. The boy struggled with that a lot, but even he knew when it was time to move on. It was easier with Arthur by his side. "So, uh, do you know where we are?"

Arthur hummed, looking around, big yellow eyes going in all directions physically possible. He noted the others but didn't recognize them and definitely didn't recognize where he was. "No clue. But it feels...I don't know, sort of familiar? Maybe they know!" He gestured his rock arm over to the group of people gathered close by. "Let's go ask them--"

"--Wait, I'm not so sure that's a good idea--"

"Oh relax! You'll be okay as long as I'm by your side. If they give you any trouble, I'll just hit 'em with my Rock Fist! Full power this time, too!"

Trent felt a certain uneasiness start to churn in his stomach. It sank and he felt that familiar feeling of dread creeps itself back into his spine, climbing and slithering back up like a snake. It didn't help that Arthur had gone behind him and pushed him forward a few paces. Before Trent even realized it, he was moving on his own and closer to them. Arthur was by his side and half-grinned at Trent. If nothing else, it made things easier.

Joining the other kids and their little creatures, Trent and Arthur arrived just in time to hear one of them introduce themselves as Katsuo and one named Captain. Trent glanced at the kid with the oversized rabbit...right?

He felt Arthur's rock elbow nudge him at his waist. Looking down, he saw his head gesture to the group, mouthing "introduce yourself!" at him. He wasn't speaking, but Trent knew he was shout-mouthing that at him. With a deep sigh, Trent readied himself for the pain of introductions. He loathed them so much, but it had to be done. They wouldn't know who he was if he didn't speak up.

"H-hi..." Trent said weakly. Coughing, he tried again. "Hello! I'm..Trent. Trent Abbott. And this is Arthur..."

"Arthur is the name! Forgive Trent here, public speaking isn't his favorite thing, ya know?" Arthur was proud of Trent for doing that. He knew it was incredibly hard, but he did it. No matter how hard he nudged, Trent never backed away. That's the most he could ever ask of him. Arthur looked at the kid who looked a lot smaller than Trent. "Oh you mean those baskets over there? Nope, not ours! I had to work extra hard to get this one--" He pointed his thumb to Trent, who just laughed nervously, "--to get up. Sleeps like a rock, he does." Arthur laughed and looked around. "But do any of you know where we are? Not sure why but it feels strange that I don't necessarily hate it. Could use more rocks, though."

Of Data and Code - A Digimon Story

Hey sorry I haven't posted yet. Been having a rough go of it these past few days, but I'll try and get one up tomorrow at latest.

Edenridge

_{Timestamp: Right after Surface Pressure, approaching 4 PM}

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_{@metanoia@LovelyComplex@BrutalBx}
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“Crapbaskets, I’m late!”

Marco hated being late because being late meant Marco was disappointing someone. And for something so important as a late lunch with friends: Kylee and Adam.

Yeah, that was just the icing on the cake, but Marco didn’t realize how much work would be ahead of him at the Godmother. Suddenly the influx of people came in wanting their afternoon fix of sandwiches, or really whatever their heart desired, but Cat closed up shop early. That was a relief to Marco, but that didn’t change that he was running LATE!

Marco had taken the usual route: walking from main street to Dolly’s, then taking that same shortcut he took when he met with Roddy and Rylie just before he left.

The shortcut itself was pretty direct. It was a side entrance, but it was a straight and narrow path with minimal climbing needed. Marco had used that so many times that even the small bumps along the path were imprinted into his memory permanently.

As he crossed the street and went for the path, Marco had been walking somewhat briskly so he didn’t see the person on his left who was going for the same side entrance. Before he knew it…

BANG!

His head collided with theirs.

How could he be so foolish? Rushing like that. You had a limp, Marco! You have to be more careful.

Marco was on the floor, on his knees. His legs hurt but nothing was broken (well except his pride but quality time with friends could fix that). He was definitely bruised somewhere on the knee. And his head was killing him.

“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry!”

Wait, that’s a girl’s voice!

Marco didn’t expect running into some girl and literally bonk heads with her. “No need to apologize--” Marco rubbed his head, as he stood up. The girl he bumped into was still on the ground, so naturally he did the polite thing. Extending his arm out, Marco’s hand was in front of her. “It’s my fault. I was in such a rush that I didn’t see you were doing the same thing.” He laughed and brushed off what was a very painful and embarrassing thing and instead chose to focus his intention on the girl with the auburn hair who took his hand.

And then he immediately partially regretted it as he stood his ground while he helped her up.

“You’re not hurt, are you?” She asked as she brushed the dirt off of her pineapple shirt and bold blue jeans.

“No no, nothing is broken. Just a bit of a headache, but that was already there.” Again, he laughed it off and opted not to tell the truth about his headache. She seemed too sweet to have that burden and it’s not like he was completely innocent in it either. “I should be apologizing. I was in too much of a rush. Ma always told me to be careful.” Marco would never live it down if she heard of this and he heard her usual ‘I told you so’s

“Thank Jesus!” The girl had a huge sense of relief in her voice and on her face, as well. “As long as you’re not hurt then all is dandy!” She smiled brightly at Marco.

It was like staring into a mirror of himself, but one that was the opposite sex, had redder hair, and was a little shorter - but she had the same kind of bright smile that Marco often displayed long before the shooting. A lot happened and just looking at her made him think back to how he was. How he used to be so carefree and enjoyed life in what it offered him, not at all thinking that one day he’d lose his light. He was slowly getting it back, of course, but that didn’t change things.

“Uhm..hello?” The girl called to Marco but he was lost in thought.

It wouldn't be until a few more attempts that Marco snapped back. “Sorry, what did you say?”

She shook her head. “I was just asking if you were heading to the park too.”

“Oh…” There was a silence in the form of a delay. When Marco realized, his eyes sprung wide open. “Oh! Oh crapbaskets, I am even more late…later? Crap! I’m sorry, but I’m meeting a friend in the park!”

“Oh really? Me too! Maybe we can go together? This is the shortcut, right? I was told that it’s pretty direct.”

Marco didn’t mind the company in all honesty. “Sure, I don’t mind!”

With a less obvious but equally cheery smile, the girl gripped her bag tightly. It looked heavy but she could manage it. “I’m Stacy by the way. Stacy Capec.”

As they walked down the path, Marco smiled at Stacy. “Nice to meet ya Stacy! I’m Marco. Uh, Marco Brady!”

The trek through the path was a relatively short one and Stacy had stuck with him through most of it. They spent the entirety of it talking and Stacy was polite enough to not be in a total rush. Marco mentioned to her about a limp he had and had apologized for his slow walking pace. The clouds were slowly starting to gather and Marco wondered if it was a mistake coming to the park.

But it didn’t matter because he saw Adam and Kylee sitting on the bench, waiting. He saw food too. He really hoped he didn’t keep them. He walked closer to the bench so they were in earshot, not realizing that Stacy had been doing the same.

“Kylee!”

“Adam!”

Marco turned to Stacy, blinking at her. “Wait… you know Adam?”

“Oh yeah totally! He’s a friend!” She chirped so innocently as she looked over at him. “Funny running into you here, Adam!”

There was a moment Kylee was caught off guard. She expected Marco but she didn’t expect the random girl. She turned to Adam, giving a fake smile, the one that said she was so happy right now, but really, she wasn’t and behind her teeth, she gritted, “I didn’t know we were having more company, I would’ve gotten her food.” She hoped this was more coincidental than not and that Adam didn’t invite someone to her lunch date without consulting her. Especially a girl.

At this point both Adam and Kylee were sitting on the bench, waiting, but with the arrival of her friend and girl, Kylee was quick to get up and cross her arms. She observed the sight from head to toe, with careful scrutiny, “Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?” She glanced at Adam then at Marco before resting her dark gaze on the stranger. “Kylee Grimm, and you are?” To say Kylee didn’t like surprises was an understatement. She was irked that her time to play catch up with her friend would now be officially ruined by some random girl. A girl that Adam knew likely from the time he disappeared for years, with no attempt to to contact her. A girl that probably wanted to get in his pants. A girl that thought she was a lot better than she actually was. Yeah, no. Kylee was not happy. Kylee hated surprises.

Adam was a little taken aback by the latest event to surround him. Of course he expected Marco to be there, I mean that’s why they were there but he wasn’t sure what to expect when he did see him despite Ky’s earlier notes about his condition. Maybe it’s because he wasn’t there during all the trials and tribulations but AC thought maybe Marco would look haggard, stressed and all limpy. Instead, he was greeted by a strong looking young man, healthy and happy by the look on his face. This was the Marco that Adam left behind. The little dweeb with a talent for soccer. Before his father grabbed him by his neck and dragged him to the car that night, Adam had discussed with the baby Brady about filming some of his upcoming matches and helping him hit together a highlight reel to help him get into a prestigious soccer camp. Hell it could even have led to college.

The girl that he brought with him, however? That was a completely different story. Stacy Capek was a face from Pinehurst. In fact she lived at the end of his old street. Her house had this great little rail in front of it that AC liked to grind when he was keeping the neighbours up with his late night skateboarding. She was a little younger than Adam, so they didn’t really socialise in school beyond a courteous nod. He knew her sister Katie better. Katie was a regular at Silo Comics, the one unmonitored escape the young Callahan was allowed to have in his captivity. They liked to argue in nerdish debates on who could beat who, the intricacies of powers and the uselessness of costumes. It was through Katie that he did eventually get to know Stacy a little more.

Adam turned his head to look at Kylee who was about three seconds and an arms length away from her Dark Place and going full Teddy Grimm on all their asses. No matter how much natural arts training AC had, he certainly wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of dark Ky. “This is Stacy,” He began placing his hand softly on Kylee’s shoulder. “I know her from Pinehurst.” The shaggy haired Irish boy moved his gaze to the newcomer. “Stace, what are you doing in Edenridge? Is Katie with you?”

Stacy nervously waved at the girl who looked she was about to murder her. She had seen that kind of look in someone’s eyes before. Only Katie looked at her that way and only when she’d eat Katie’s comfort food, a donut hamburger (using two glazed donuts instead of hamburger buns for the you buns) without her permission. And considering Katie never gave Stacy permission, it was every time. But Stacy only ate that trash when she was starving and Stacy was always starving, so bit of a problem for both Zima sisters.

Marco looked at Stacy, who seemed lost in her thoughts. It was understandable. Kylee had nearly bit her head off. He had to play damage control. “Yeah sorry for being so late. Walking here from work was challenging and then I ran into Stacy..literally.” Marco laughed and then Stacy kind of giggled, seemingly bringing her out of her thoughts. Oh good, guess that solves the sub-problem.

Shaking her head almost in a cartoonish way, Stacy turned her attention to her friend. “Yeah, Kates here. She wanted to visit some place called Swat? Swerve?” Stacy tried to recall--”

“Oh! Swerve Arcana!” Marco chimed in, correcting a frazzled Stacy.

“Yeah that was it!” She said in an a-ha manner. “But it didn’t seem like my zone and I remember you said you were coming to this park…And I didn’t know if it would be now. Totally wasn’t stalking you or anything!” Stacy nervously glanced over at the girl who reminded her of Katie in a lot of ways. “..Or interrupt your guys’ lunch. I’m sorry!”

With furrowed brows, Kylee tried her best to calm the fuck down. Shit like this happened all the time. Unwarranted, unwanted guests. At least she wasn’t a bitch like Natalia. It’s fine. It’s whatever. She’ll catch up with Marco another fucking day. “Well since we are all here, happy reunion, I’m starving, and I’m going to eat. Stacy you are more than welcome to have some of our food.” Really, Stacy had no choice. Kylee was already in the motion of making her a plate.

The Mayor’s daughter was quick to get everyone’s food situated, placing their chinese container on the bench. “I can use a lid and just slap food for you, if you’re okay with that?” She looked over her shoulder, while using the bench as support, looking at the other girl expectantly. The lid rested beside her own sweet and sour chicken, waiting for Kylee to either eat it or scoop some into the lid.

She wanted to say no only because from the way she was looking at her before, that same murderous glare she had some bad PTSD from, she didn’t want to make things worse for her. At the same time, the Russian girl didn’t have it in her to say no. “Sure..yeah that’s fine!”

Adam rested his board against the bench next to his camera and grabbed his beef in black bean sauce from the pile of food. Stacy was a good kid and for whatever reason she was here and they now had to make the best of it. “It’s a surprise to me that you and Katie would up and leave Pinehurst to come here. Like the comic store back there is triple the size of ours. Katie would have far more choice.” AC had many reasons to flee the home of the monarchs and the nasties. Probably too many to count. He wondered if Katie and Stacy were doing the same. The grass definitely wasn’t greener in Edenridge, if anything it was scorched Earth. Adam turned to Ky and rested a gentle and reassuring hand on Kylee’s shoulder. “Stace lived down the street.”

“Well she said something about meeting some friends there? Honestly I can’t remember if she said anything other than that.” The truth was, Stacy really wasn’t listening to everything that Katie told her. She only memorized she was at that Swerve Arcana place and she was meeting a few friends.

Marco could sense it. The air was thick with the kind of tension that spelled doom for the immediate future, but if he could, he’d add a little light to it. Hopefully that would lighten the load a bit. “Down the street? That’s cool! And the odds you two would run into each other at the same time? Almost makes me believe in the higher power stuff.” Marco wasn’t necessarily a believer, but he liked the spiritual aspect of religion.

Oh, they were putting fate and religion in this now. Kylee slapped food onto Stacy’s plate and shoved the lid in her direction. “Oh that’s so sweet,” She said with a condescending undertone. Once Stacy took the lid from her hands, Kylee stood up, leaving her food behind, and brushing Adam’s hand off her shoulder.

Kylee beamed an unsettling, yet contrastingly kind smile. Her dark, brown eyes were piercing straight into Stacy’s soul. “He used to live so close to me too! You know, before he disappeared and decided to not try to contact me for YEARS. If he lived that close to a ‘friend’, who I don’t know? Had a phone that his father couldn’t monitor, maybe he would’ve contacted me! Oh! But that doesn’t matter. He’s back now, and things are just hunky dory. I’m so glad he had a friend.” Kylee crossed her arms, no longer with an appetite as she scanned the people around her. She should just go. Clearly, she was the odd man out, not knowing this girl on any level like Adam and Marco did. And clearly, she was still pissed at Adam for ABANDONING her.

With a sudden loss of appetite, Adam placed his food down and sighed. “Enough Kylee,” He began bluntly. “I thought of all people, with a dad like yours you’d understand but I guess I have to make this as simple as I can.” He rubbed his neck, feeling the nerves bubbling in his chest. “Everything I did, literally everything was monitored. My room had no windows and locks only the outside. I had to give my phone up every night. I could only use the laptop in his presence and if I tried to speak to anyone without telling him, my own father, would chain me to a fucking pipe and leave me there or beat the shit out of me. I wore an ankle monitor and he goddamn threatened outright to kill anyone I tried to tell, yes that includes you Ky. I was a damn inmate in my own home and for what? Tell me why?” Adam’s forest green eyes were filling up with tears. “I finally got out. I finally got free and I came home. Home to you and to Marco and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

There were tears in Adam’s eyes and yet even with the horror he went through, she still wanted to be selfish because he wasn’t the only one that struggled and if roles reversed, she wouldn’t have been afraid to die. She would’ve done what she could to let him know she was okay and that she loved him. The darkness slipped into her chest and through her body. Her eyes grew dull as she teethed, “You think I’m scared of death, Adam? I was in a room of people bleeding out. My fucking ex boyfriend died in my arms. My HOUSE is a GRAVEYARD. I don’t need fucking protection. What I needed was to know you CARED. Yeah, I understand. I have a shitty father. You have a shitty father. But I also understand that I really didn’t mean a goddamn thing to you, you know what? Why am I here?”

Kylee looked from Adam to Stacy to Marco. Marco was her exception, but Pinehurst people were all the same. They were awful people. It was clear what she needed to do with her current dilemma with Wes. She needed to break up with him. If he wasn’t going to pick up his phone, then she’d just text him and say they were done. He wasn’t giving her any other choice. “I’m going home.” She didn’t bother cleaning up her food. All she did was turn on her heel and walk off. Why did she think today was going to be a good day? She shouldn’t have gotten her hopes up. Taking out her phone, she searched for her father’s number, hoping he was free to pick her up.

“Absolutely-fucking-not,” Adam exclaimed as he noticed the caller ID that Kylee was aiming for. “Kylee, we’re gonna head out and sort through this.” He turned to the awestruck in awkwardness Marco and Stacey. “I’m really sorry about this guys. There’s a lot of unresolved issues we’ve got to deal with. I live in Westwood now, so hit me up soon Marco and we’ll raid Swerve or something, proper catch up between the two of us.” He looked at Stacy. God poor Stacy. She stumbled into some chaos. “For what it’s worth it was nice seeing you, Stace. If you and Kate are ever in town again, look me up? And it goes without saying but please don’t tell my dad where I am.” Kicking his board into his arm, and hanging his camera around his chest, Adam took a hold of Kylee’s hand gently but firm. “We’re going back to my place. You are not going home in this storm and I have something for you to see.”

Adam had a black belt. Even if she wanted to pull away, she knew the odds of taking him down were unlikely. She knew as long as he was well aware that the person she was going to see was her father, he wouldn’t let her go. No matter what. It reminded her, and likely him, too much of when they were younger when they were unraveling ghost stories and it was getting late. She would say she didn’t want to go home and he would tell her don’t, stay with me. Begrudgingly, she accepted his hand but didn’t look at him. She didn’t say a word. Curiosity did peak when he said he had something to show her but she wouldn’t be caught dead showing that on her face right now.

She was still mad.

With her other hand, she held her phone and looked at her dad’s number. Sighing to herself, she turned her screen off and slipped it in her back pant’s pocket. She couldn’t believe she brought up the day of the shooting. She hadn’t talked about that since… well, she hadn’t talked about that ever. Subtly, her body was shaking from the flashing memories that bombarded her mind when she was yelling at Adam. She shouldn’t have said any of that. Biting the bottom of her lip, deep in thought, all she could see was Charlie now and how easy it was to take a life.

That certainly went from zero to 100 in the worst way possible. Marco had no words. Even if he did, at the rate both Kylee and Adam were going and the things she was saying, there was no possible way he’d get any words in. It was almost clear to him that, for whatever reason, Stacy being here and apparently not only being a friend of Adam’s (something Marco was still processing in the sense of what were the odds she’d be here at the same time he was going to meet Adam), but she was also a neighbor of his from Pinehurst. No doubt that it was a lot to take in, but it seemed to Marco that there was something else. Hopefully Adam is able to help her, though. “No te preocupes por eso. It’s fine! Whenever it's good for you!” Marco smiled at Adam, but he wasn’t sure about Kylee. He just hoped she wasn’t mad at him.

Stacy was lost in her own thoughts both during the whole exchange Adam had with the angry girl and a bit afterwards. She didn’t know if it was something she did or what, but it felt like she did something, and that only made her feel worse about herself. She had come here just to see if Adam was even around. She had no idea of knowing she’d run into someone who not only apparently knew Adam from a time before she did, but was with someone who didn’t like her. So it was all just very stressful and it had been eating away at her. She was only brought out of it when he spoke to her directly. “Oh! Yeah, my lips are sealed!” Stacy emphasized with a zipping motion.

Feeling Kylee shaking in his hands, Adam hated every second of it. “Alright, you guys get home safe ok?” He offered the pair a sincere toothy smile. “Last thing we need is death by bad weather.” He looked up at the big black cloud that since the beginning of the argument, seemed to have absorbed all of that negative to increase in size and darkness. It was both simultaneously wondrous and horrifying. “Let’s get out of here,” he looked down at the forlorn Kylee with a pain in his heart before gently leading her towards the exit from Lyon park.

Of Data and Code - A Digimon Story

so not trying to seem impatient or anything but hope everything's okay @G3njii!