[Closed] breathe deep of the dawn before the storm;

[aetherweaver]

Who: Nara'a, Taiki, and their Digimon.
What: Zenos has arrived. This is a Problem.
Where: Taiki's home.
When: The morning after Zenos arrives.
Warnings: Likely swearing. Spoilers up through Endwalker. Probably reference to terrible war things. Will update as needed.


He hadn't slept. How could he sleep, knowing that only doors away there was someone who had done... so many terrible things and enabled so many more? It took him until dawn to even start to settle down, reduced to brushing his tail to try to soothe himself.

A few hours after dawn he's up and out, knocking on Taiki's door. Hopefully the other's still there... "Taiki? Taiki, this is important. Please open the door." If he's not then he's going to have to brave using the Digivice to try to contact him, and he's still not sure how that thing works.

Comments

Hello, I live, I'll stop apologizing because that's probably annoying but I'm HERE

[lightingway]

Happily, perhaps out of habit, Taiki was one of those utterly insufferable sorts of people who tended to be awake, energized, and terminally cheerful in the morning hours. The door opened-

And there was Gazimon, looking decidedly not cheerful about being conscious at eight bells. "Oh. Sup. What, uh. Whaaaat can we help you with?"

The viera's voice called from the tiny kitchen area. "Who is it?"

"Nara'a and Botamon..." A pause, as he looked the miqote up and down. "Very not okay."

That was cause for alarm. Taiki stepped into view, wearing an apron. "... Nara'a... you look a fright. Come in, please, there's not much room but we'll make do. Gazimon, can you put another three slices on like I showed you?"

"Yeah, sure. Should I put more bacon on, or...

"No, use the sausage, bacon needs to start in a cold pan or it won't cook properly."

"Uh-huh. On it."

Gazimon bounded off to fetch a chair to stand on, and Taiki closed the door once Nara'a was inside, a frown forming on his face. "What happened? Is anyone hurt? Have you even slept?"

You're good. ♥

[aetherweaver]

Nara'a steps inside, frowning heavily. Kotemon doesn't look any happier, though he's still confused. There's something about the quiet man that disturbs his Tamer, and he still doesn't know what it is.

But Nara'a's voice is quiet as he speaks, just three words. "Zenos... is here."

He watches Taiki, aware of what that might mean to the other Warrior of Light. He's around if the viera needs it. He'd rather not get Taiki involved, but he has the right to know.

"It's someone bad, I guess." Kotemon says to Gazimon when he returns with the chair. "He seemed okay enough..."

At least, he hadn't attacked them.

[lightingway]

Taiki sat down at the table. He did not, thereafter say much of anything for a few moments. This needed... time, to be processed.

Gazimon, handling a pan, looked over one shoulder. "Uh... what? Who's Zemus?"

"Zenos," Taiki said, hollowly. "Yours, or mine?"

[aetherweaver]

"Not mine. I didn't mention you at all, so I don't know. It could be a different one from us entirely."

Kotemon taps his shinai against the floor, curious. "You're acting like he's a bad guy."

"He's responsible for... a lot of things. Including a lot of deaths." And a good deal more, but that's a place to start.

"Oh..."

[lightingway]

Taiki rubbed his face, groaning. "The man burned multiple nations to the ground and very nearly ended the world for a chance to fight me. He's unfathomably dangerous, and I cannot for the life of me imagine how on earth he is, one, alive, and two, here. He wouldn't agree to try and save the world! Not unless-"

Pause. "Kami fucking preserve me, did he come here thinking I, or- we, would have received the same message? What more does he want?! I only beat him to death with my bare hands the last time we fought, was that not satisfying enough for him somehow? What next? Will Fan-fucking-daniel make an appearance to taunt me as well? Mayhap the departed spirit of Nidhogg, come to claim his essence! I'm all but certain Themis is Elidibus in the bloody future, why not invite Lahabrea and Emet-Selch as well! It can be a grand godsdamned reunion tour of everyone who's ever tried to destroy the godsdamned star!"

There was a ringing silence, punctuated by the furtive encroachment upon the table by a plate of La Noscean toast, held somewhat awkwardly by Gazimon. "Sooooo not... someone to get involved with, then. You think he's coming back for round two?"

"Six," Taiki spat.

"Sounds like some kinda obsessed stalker."

[aetherweaver]

"..." He tilted his head, just listening to Taiki rant. It wasn't as if he didn't have similar feelings, but he couldn't help but feel somewhat bad for Zenos in a tiny part of his soul. Maybe it was the remnants of Azem and the love they had for all beings, but the hollowness of Zenos' life was just... sad.

It didn't erase anything he's done, though. Not in the slightest. Nor did it dim his anger. But he didn't have the same connection to some of the lands Zenos burned through that the other Warrior had. He stayed silent until Taiki was done, before going over to put a hand on the viera's shoulder. His own body was shaking a little bit, but someone had to be the one in control of their feelings at the moment.

"... He is. I tried to explain things to his partner, but he wouldn't have it. ... Which I suppose makes sense. No one wants to hear that their partner is an awful person." 'Awful' was putting it lightly, but he was trying to not swear.

Still... "We're going to have to keep an eye on him. And not snap and go after him, because that's what he wants. Even if it's not from us, it's still what he wants."

[lightingway]

The hand on his shoulder was a welcome presence, and he exhaled. "I won't start anything with him, Nara'a. That wouldn't... help anyone. But I'm most certainly not going to hide the truth, if anyone assssks fuck he knows about the Final Days and Amaurot."

Gazimon hissed. "Ohhhh, shit. Uhh... Isn't that... really bad? With all the time travel stuff going on?"

[aetherweaver]

"... He does. But I don't know that he's likely to tell anyone. He's not much of a conversationalist, really." The corner of his mouth quirks upwards and he tries to suppress it. "It's bad, but I don't know that he's going to really be interested in the Ancients."

"What if he is, though?" Kotemon fretted, holding his weapon nervously.

"Then we deal with it then, and run as much damage control as we can."

[lightingway]

With a sigh, Taiki leaned back in his chair. "We can only hope. With two of us, I'm sure even Zenos won't be a problem. On a happier topic... would the pair of you like to join us for breakfast? You look badly shaken."

[aetherweaver]

"Yeah!" How does Kotemon eat through the mask? Digimon are full of mysteries.

"Ah... sure. I didn't... really sleep last night, as you might imagine." He had a big shock, so it's not like his mind could really rest.

[lightingway]

"Well, I've been teaching Gazimon a little bit, so I hope you like a proper La Noscean toast!" Taiki beamed as his partner stared determinedly at the floor.

"It's just. Putting bread in eggs, 's not like it's a huge deal or anything."

"Nonsense, it was your first time! And it looks delightful. You did wonderfully." Certainly, there had to be a little improvisation given the two additional guests, but the spread before them was, hopefully, more than enough. Nara'a and Kotemon would be treated to a Bismarck classic! La Noscean Toast- with strawberries, maple syrup since he couldn't find any birch, and a small plate of bacon and sausage for the table to fight over share. "Congratulations on your evolution, by the way, er... I'm sorry, is it still Botamon, or how does that work, exactly?"

[aetherweaver]

"Oh, wonderful! It looks great, Gazimon." Nara'a beams at the other Digimon, even clapping a little before he sets his hands down. He doesn't want to totally embarrass the poor guy, after all.

The spread is greatly appreciated, as Kotemon begins chowing down as soon as the food is presented to him. The question makes him look up though, shaking his head. Clearly there were more things these tamers had to learn! "It's Kotemon now. We change names as we evolve - Gazimon wasn't always Gazimon either."

Nara'a reaches over and gives his Digimon a scritch, and Kotemon leans into it for a moment before resuming eating. "That's what he told me before, too. It seems that they have a lot of branching 'trees' their evolutions can go down - it's rather fascinating, really. At least to me, but I was always the nerd of the clan."

[lightingway]

Taiki beamed, one hand reaching down absently to give Gazimon a squeeze- and retreated when the digimon froze. "Kotemon. I'll do my best to remember it. What was life with your clan like, Nara'a? Pleasant, I hope."

[aetherweaver]

Aw, Gazimon. It's okay, Kotemon's just very affectionate despite now carrying a weapon. "Ah..." He thumbs the scar over his nose and chuckles a bit. "It was... difficult at times. It's not that they didn't care about me, but it was always expected I would go off on my own - especially when it became clear just how hopeless I am at hunting. The Wellwick Wood is no place for non-hunters, they'd tell me. We sold to other people in Thanalan and the Shroud - my clan was a bit unusual in that we stuck closer to Thanalan than Gridania. Most Moon Keepers tend to disappear into the thicker underbrush."

Hm. "I never really questioned why we stuck to scrublands - I think it was just 'less competition'. So I grew up more used to the heat, and we had a bit of a reputation for 'not being poachers'. It's... an unfortunate stereotype with Moon Keepers that they tend to ignore local laws about what they can or can't hunt, but we had less of a problem with that since the laws were different in Thanalan." He shrugs at that - it's not like he's always the best at keeping to laws anyway. "I write to my mother and sisters sometimes... I don't get much of a response, but I want them to know I'm all right. I know they probably tease me for being sentimental."

[lightingway]

"I can't blame you for sentimentality, Nara'a, not without spontaneously- combusting out of sheer hypocrisy, at any rate." He laughed, a little, taking a drink. "It's good you keep in touch with them, at least. I'm sure they're proud of you, truly. Life with Estinien, at least, has taught me that... just because someone isn't the best at communicating love, doesn't mean it isn't there."

Gazimon frowned. "I... kinda get the stereotypin' thing. Not so much the way other digimon treat us, but... you look at most of the old stories and Virus-types're all bad guys. Maybe there's one or two who turned out alright, but even then they usually got somethin' wrong with 'em. And you almost friggin' never hear about anything like me. Gazimon don't tend to show up as anything other than faceless goons in the background... I used to think they'd gotten it wrong. That any day somebody was gonna show up all... 'Oh, sorry, Mister Gazimon, there's been a terrible mistake, got your paperwork mixed up with this Patamon's, you're free to go'. I know that's dumb, but there it is. Just 'cos people tell you 'oh hey, no worries, you ain't like that... don't mean it don't hurt they think that about other people like you."

[aetherweaver]

He snorts at Taiki's assessment. Proud of him? Maybe. He's not sure. His relationship with his family is complicated and bound up in tradition and role expectations. He's right about the Estinien thing though... maybe they are proud of him.

He listens patiently to Gazimon, looking down and thinking. "Virus digimon are treated like that? Kotemon, what type are you?"

"Data. But type doesn't really matter much to me..."

Nara'a nods and looks back at Gazimon. "I'm sorry. You don't deserve to be treated like that. And rest assured that I don't think of you like that, and neither does Kotemon. If anyone gives you trouble about who or what you are, you come to me or Taiki or Kotemon. We'll set them right."