♔ 008; [video]

[velveteenmage]

...There's something that's still bothering me about all of this. [The exhausted British-accented teenager sat at a small desk in his room, drinking a cup of tea as Palmon and Biyomon seemed to be doing the same behind him.]

Why? I don't understand what all this was supposed to accomplish on their part. If we were given 'false' partners- [with a heavy emphasis on 'false' suggesting he thought that was a load of nonsense] -what was the reasoning for it? It can't be just to try to spread that virus among all of us...the planning and effort seem too elaborate for just that outcome.

More than that, if they're replicas, so to speak, why do they have free will? [He waved a hand behind him, and Palmon shrugged at the camera as though to say 'hell if I know'.] If I didn't already know which of these two I'd met first, it'd be bloody hard to tell. I would assume most of you can say the same.

[Waver shook his head with a short but heavy sigh, setting aside his cup of tea and fiddling with the Crest of Tenacity around his neck.]

On top of all that, I realized I...m-maybe I should learn how to fight. I don't think I'll be any good at it and I'm definitely sure I'd rather not have to, but if anyone can help me I'd be grateful. If we get stuck in some kind of mess like that again, I don't want to slow anyone down.

Comments

[video]

[fuhrinkaed]

Beyond that, there's a lot of other questions too. For starters, Lotusmon is serving some kind of Queen, so she's also against Titamon who is another side, and that side's the one that made the clones, and then there's Sakuyamon who seems to have goals that align with us... but we don't know exactly what they are other than 'protecting the digital world.'

Really, I'm wondering what the Queen and Titamon are after...

O-Oh, back to your question, though... maybe they have free will because of us? I mean, our digivices are linked to them, and they seem to have a lot of weird powers that transcend the basic rules of this world--it could be related.

[video]

[velveteenmage]

This is starting to venture into 'needing to draw an alignment chart' territory. For the moment it might be safe to assume the former two are against us in some measure, but Sakuyamon's likely to be closer to our side if not directly on it.

...Actually, that might be a good idea. A-about the free will, I mean. Maybe there's some factor or variable Titamon and his faction didn't account for?

Re: [video]

[fuhrinkaed]

Yeah... Still, I want to know what they're after. That seems the best way to figure out how to stop them.

Or, alternatively, it may let us at least know if what they're doing is something we actually want to stop. It's possible that we're all on the same side.

[voice]

[kidemonas]

[What? Her clothes were trashed, so of course she's going with audio only. She can't say much on the partners fiasco, but training someone how to fight on the other hand-]

There's a reason Masters will usually stay out of the fight. Mostly due the high risk that is entailed. The war here is different, yet that principle remains. Perhaps even at greater effect, without the Master's access to spells. [This boy is a surprising one, there's no doubt about that. She's just testing him a little.]

[voice]

[velveteenmage]

I'm not a Master anymore. Palmon and Biyomon are my partners, not my Servants. So obviously I should be able to back them up rather than hold them both back.

[voice]

[kidemonas]

Even so, knowing your place in a battle is imperative. With or without training, if you run into a battle where humans do not belong, you'll only be a hindrance, not back up. [Hopefully she can trust him not to rush a boss fight with a steel pipe.]

video

[leaderkun]

[Yu has a good feeling about what set this off, and looks apologetic]

I hope you know: I wasn't trying to insult you, during the fight...

video

[velveteenmage]

...I know that. You didn't, honestly. I've been thinking for a while that I should probably learn to protect myself.

video

[leaderkun]

Well, I'm not Rowan, but I can probably teach you a little if you want. I kinda had to self teach myself how to use a sword so...

[Video]

[notmyprophecy]

I don't think...it matters where they came from. They are our friends. Of course they can decide for themselves.

...I can't figure out why...

[Video]

[velveteenmage]

I don't think it matters either. Palmon is Palmon, her origins aren't any of my business. I just want to know why instead of worrying about some existential crisis.

[Video]

[notmyprophecy]

Maybe the worrying is the reason?

[audio]

[greatwork]

Rather than learning to fight, work on your brain. Digimon have power enough, you'll be more useful as a commander to tell them how to use it properly.

As for the 'false partner' part, you're accepting as fact words we got from an enemy who was then trying to kill everyone, and confirmed by the fox-hooker. It was probably an attempt to make us stop working with our partners so it would have an easier time wrecking the place.

[audio]

[velveteenmage]

I won't deny thinking is probably the only thing I can do well, but thinking doesn't always protect someone in a fight. I'd feel better if I had something to fall back on.

...You think it wasn't true, then? Sakuyamon at the very least doesn't seem like she'd be our enemy. At least not as far as I'm able to tell.

[audio]

[greatwork]

And if something can take down your Digimon, what, precisely, do you think you'll be able to do? Even if you can fight?

Sakuyamon may not be our enemy, but she strikes me as about as bright as a wine cellar on a winter's midnight. These Digivices we have work on the ones we had first, our Crests work with the ones we had first, and we've been through quite a bit. Regardless of what was originally intended, speaking purely functionally, the ones we had from the start are indisputably our 'real' partners.

[video]

[orphism]

What kind of fighting would you want to learn?

[Call him curious.]

[video]

[velveteenmage]

I...I don't really know. Yu mentioned using swords, but I'm not sure what would be remotely suited to me.

[video]

[orphism]

[Swords? He's a sword fighter too though he uses a different type of sword as Narukami.]

In that case, does anything interest you?

video;

[codes]

You actually want to learn how to fight?

[ Don't mind her breaking off into manic laughter. ] Ahahaha, oh Waver-kun, you need to warn a girl when you're going to say something so funny!!

[ ... Isn't it great to have things back to normal! ]

video;

[velveteenmage]

I think I liked you better with the virus.

video;

[codes]

[ So did everyone else, Waver.

So did everyone else. ]

Haa--you mean you enjoyed me being weaker than you, huh?

[revvinguptheharley]

Maybe it wasn't a totally logical plan to begin with?

Or maybe they thought that without your true partners you'd be weaker.

HA! Jokes on them then!

[velveteenmage]

It could be either of those, though I'd be more inclined to assume the former.

[revvinguptheharley]

Yay! It's always WAY more fun to fight someone who doesn't make the most logical choices. Then you're usually more likely to be surprised.

[video]

[acceptedburden]

I think false partners was perhaps Titamon's way of trying to question our bonds and make us unable to evolve. They certainly have not been false in the sense that they've been with us and fought beside us from the beginning.
However, the long run plan I can't even try to predict. It may come to light as we learn more about the nature of the virus and our reason for being here.

[He smirks slightly at the sight of the familiar crest.]

I can help you with that if no one else has offered. Although, fighting Digimon is more difficult than other opponents I have faced.