Broken Ground (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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themainframe2014-01-20 02:34 am
brokenground) wrote in themainframe2014-01-20 02:34 am
[Video]
[It's a video. Terra's somewhere outside of HospiTown by the forest in the background; it's late but not so late where he can't be easily seen. He looks like he hasn't been sleeping well, but otherwise alert.]
Hey there. I don't know most of you and most of you don't know me, so ... I'm Terra. I've been told in some detail we're here to save this place, and I intend to get to it.
['Now', apparently.]
Minervamon said she'd be leaving more detailed information later on, but for now I know we need to find Titamon and find the ARCloner as some first steps. It's a lot better than nothing to work with at all, but this world's a lot larger--
[A lot larger than most worlds he's been to. He can't say that, and continues after a moment of thought.]
--Than I expected. There's a lot of ground to cover. So I'm hoping to find some people willing to do some traveling. ...A lot of traveling actually. And willing to share what they find when they're traveling with everyone else. If anyone out there's got experience with uh, scouting, reconnaissance, that sort of thing, and willing to help, I'd like to hear from you.
[It's pretty clear Terra's not used to doing this sort of thing, it's all pretty awkwardly stated, with a bit of fidgeting here and there too, but he manages to stay pretty calm. This was a thing he was sure would help. Now if he could find enough people willing to help..]
Hey there. I don't know most of you and most of you don't know me, so ... I'm Terra. I've been told in some detail we're here to save this place, and I intend to get to it.
['Now', apparently.]
Minervamon said she'd be leaving more detailed information later on, but for now I know we need to find Titamon and find the ARCloner as some first steps. It's a lot better than nothing to work with at all, but this world's a lot larger--
[A lot larger than most worlds he's been to. He can't say that, and continues after a moment of thought.]
--Than I expected. There's a lot of ground to cover. So I'm hoping to find some people willing to do some traveling. ...A lot of traveling actually. And willing to share what they find when they're traveling with everyone else. If anyone out there's got experience with uh, scouting, reconnaissance, that sort of thing, and willing to help, I'd like to hear from you.
[It's pretty clear Terra's not used to doing this sort of thing, it's all pretty awkwardly stated, with a bit of fidgeting here and there too, but he manages to stay pretty calm. This was a thing he was sure would help. Now if he could find enough people willing to help..]
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[Vanguard's tail flickers with interest, curling behind him at the offer. Bumblebee grins at his partner as she shakes his head. His hand reaches into his pocket for the D-Terminal.]
Don't encourage him. If he decides to settle down early for a 'vacation,' he'll never get up again.
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It just left a nagging anxiety that he doesn't know where Ven is or if he's okay.
This matter of having to text all the time is something he's going to have to find a fix for. The simple handsign he knew wasn't going to be enough for detailed conversations..]
Then he'll get left behind.
[It could have been a scathing statement but Terra just sounds and looks amused.]
He can sit there and twiddle his thumbs, and we'll have all the benefits of traveling together. Safety in numbers. Entertainment. Regular meals. I'm sure Dorumon can handle whatever turns up on his own.
I can try!
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H-hey! Nobody's leaving anybody behind! Especially when that somebody is me.[Bee gets an accusing finger.]< And don't you laugh, you little wisecrack. You wouldn't last a day without me.
[Vanguard may be murmuring under his breath about Bee's chances of being eaten by a Tyrannomon in the middle of the night. Bumblebee just pats his digimon on the back in good humor as he approaches Terra.]
[A moment later, Bumblebee produces a well-worn document from his pack. He'll be handing it to Terra: a map displaying the fruits of Bee's labor for the past few weeks. 'HospiTown' is the most populated area of the map. Some sections around the city are circled and labelled with various hazards. Unfamiliar symbols of cities or villages pepper the North where locals have provided him with intel. Roads and well-used paths curl around the paper like snakes, ending where Bee has not yet searched. The eastern and northern part of the map are more barren, unexplored and clean of Bee's notes.]
It's nothing comprehensive, but it's a start.
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[There's still no trace of hostility or scorn. Just a gentle verbal poking, from someone who may or may not be an ally. Terra's still fairly certain this trained scout and his digimon were worth the effort of making reliable allies with. Friends ... perhaps not, but friendship wasn't required. Steady reliability was. He could handle that, it was distant enough from the things that hurt to not trouble him.
So far so good.
'Tyrannomon' is caught out of all that, drawing a sidelong glance from Terra to his own partner. Dorumon seems to interpret the glance just fine as the question it was and raises his claws and opens his muzzle, baring a mouthful of sharp teeth, then pantomimes stomping around eating invisible digimon as he goes.
It seems to convey the point JUST fine as Bumblebee produces his paper, which unfolds neatly into a map. There's a pause to see what the text sent along with it is, before he goes back to admiring Bumblebee's work. Nice map. He wanted one.]
Ah, wow. This is a lot better than my own, actually, and very well detailed with exactly the stuff I want to know. It looks like there's a bit of a gap up this way, across the river. You haven't been there yet I take it?
[Obviously, if that spot's not filled in yet.]
We could head there, see what there is to see.
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[Bumblebee shakes his head. It's unknown wilderness in the empty white space of the map. He's interviewed some residents on the matter, but the reliability of those accounts are always hit or miss.]
Haven't been there, no. I first arrived here a few weeks ago. My teammates wanted to rendezvous with me after I showed up, so I stayed close to HospiTown waiting for them.
[He taps the tiny blue squiggle of a river on the map before giving Terra a thumbs up. That sounds as good a place to start as any.]
Thanks. Scouting near HospiTown is easy. Understanding the politics between Olympus XII and figuring out exactly what this 'ARcloner' is? Much more difficult.
no subject
[Dorumon is not one for any of these things, not even a little bit. Eventually Terra's going to wind up carrying him. But for now, he can sound enthusiastic about it.]
The last thing we need to deal with is politics while trying to save a world.
[Terra makes a face, and offers the map back. He'd keep hold of it longer but he has a pretty good memory and an idea of where to head now.]
From what I can tell the ARCloner might be part of either why we're here, or where these SCOPE digimon come from. Not sure why it's important yet, but I figure we'll find out when we locate it.
[Not a whole lot of forethought there, but it doesn't seem to concern him too much.]
I've got enough supplies to last the four of us a few days, we'll see how far we get and what we see by then.
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[Dorumon's enthusiasm seems to zap the strength right out of Vanguard. Still, he is no stranger to dealing with an upbeat attitude. After all, his partner is Bumblebee. He doesn't mind the other digimon as much as other people might expect, satisfied to even settle down near him to groom his mane until they get moving.]
[Bumblebee gives Terra a nod of thanks and briefly glances at the map to orient himself. After that, he tucks it away securely in his pack.]
That's one way to handle it. Though, I can't think of any better plans. And thanks. I've got some essentials as well, and everything else we can forage and purchase along any settlements.
[Bumblebee just takes another moment to adjust his pack, to check everything inside before he looks up at Terra. Ready to go whenever the other is.]
You been in this world long?
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[Beside the fact that sooner or later Dorumon would get tired and Terra would have to tote him around like a fuzzy purple sack of potatos.
Terra's getting used to having to repeatedly check the little machine for a message; it's not as convenient as just talking but it works. Not the best.. some alternative would need to be found eventually, but for now..]
Then between the two of us we should be set. I don't know how much of an eater your partner is but Dorumon will eat anything in sight if you let him. Don't let him.
[Dorumon looks a little put out, but he's also not denying it. If it's tasty and it's there, why shouldn't he eat it?? As it seems they're more or less all set, Terra turns and heads in what he's pretty sure is the right direction. Rivers are not a big deal to cross, they'd find a shallow spot eventually.]
Ah.. no. A couple of weeks, I think. It's hard to keep track of time here. Yourself?
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[Bumblebee spares Dorumon a glance and his eyes fill with humor.]
I'll keep an eye on him. Vanguard's eats like he's starving, but I especially wouldn't leave anything sweet unless you want it to disappear.
[Bumblebee will roll his neck and lift his arms above his head, limbering up for the journey ... and because stretching is a fantastic human marvel. Robots can make similar calibrations to loosen up, but it feels nothing like this. It's always the little things that make the human experience a bit exciting, when it isn't frustrating.]
Same. Though it feels like much longer. They pulled me from my world and into this one just as I was fighting a critical battle. My first days trying to figure out what had happened were some of the longest.
[He falls into step with Terra easily, scanning the horizon and their heading periodically, but still very relaxed. Vanguard just groans when they start to move, and reluctantly gets to his feet to catch up.]
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It'll be fun, and you're doing it with your friend, that's the important part!
If you don't want the sweets yourself, he can have those. I'm not really into them; Dorumon usually finishes them off himself.
[A scandalous thing to admit to! Terra preferred savory over sweet by a vast degree, something that often left him preparing his own snacks back home. When everyone else has a collective sweet tooth and you're the odd bird out..
There's things he wants to ask or wonders about, but he weighs the laborious process of how these conversations actually work, with Bee having to type everything out by hand and then his own verbal responses, and decides it's probably too much trouble for the ex-robot. But that doesn't keep him entirely silent, only inhibits too much curiosity. It might be embarrassing for Bee to have to keep doing it.]
... Yeah. I know that one. Not just where you are or how you got there, but wondering about the people you'd just been torn away from. There's no real knowing if your sudden absence is problems.. sometimes hoping for the best doesn't quite help.
[There's a moment's pause, as he frowns. No, he didn't want to think about it. Even if Bee might understand it completely it's.. too unpleasant.]
Well here, how about this. Let's see how good your memory is, we can start running through the different handsigns I know.. maybe we can just make up anything else we'll need. And then if your memory's still as good as when you were a machine, you can teach others.
[Communication is a wonderful and glorious tool.]
Just let me know if you ever want me to reverse or undo a time skip and I can edit, no problem
[Bee couldn't have put it any better himself. Hope is always important, of course. But Bee would rather be out there in the field, actively doing something instead of worrying and sitting around. He's not the type to sit around and wait. He and Terra understand each other in this way, at least.
And that's how the journey starts: Dorumon and Vanguard engage in a very laid back clash of bright optimism and mild pessimism. Terra begins to teach Bumblebee what he knows, simple lessons first and then slowly more complicated. Bee soaks up the knowledge like a sponge. He's always been curious by nature, and fascination is a far better learning aid than any book or study guide.
While Terra proves to be an able teacher, and Bee the ever willing pupil, their communication system is still in its infancy by the time that they decide to stop for a meal.
For this particular stop, Bee provides the provisions and the food. After all, Terra's already giving him lessons. It's only fair that in return, he contribute too. While Vanguard prepares the food, Bee will be updating some items on the map, and scrawling something into a black notepad.
Though at one point, Bumblebee may raise his head and narrow his eyes. Like he's trying to listen for something in the distance.]
let's do the time warp agaiiiin
Looking for something useful won out. And at least the company's good; he's never had to teach anyone before, but the fact that Bumblebee seemed to have maintained the flawless memory of a machine really helped.
Stopping for a meal is just an opportunity to poke around in a far smaller area. With Vanguard attending food and Bumblebee updating his notes, Terra is ... digging. Yep. Digging. With a rock, even, with singleminded interest. He is certain he smelled onion, and onions in the digital world would be odd, but any free flavoring is free flavoring. Dorumon's left him to it, mostly because Terra didn't want those sharp little claws digging where his fingers happen to be.
By the time he surfaces, with a bunch of stringy green things with bulbs on the ends, he seems pleased with the result.
Something that fades by degrees at Bumblebee's alertness.]
Something up?
[It's said quietly, on purpose. The change in tone, from curiosity to seriousness, draws Dorumon's attention as well, ears perked looking and listening for anything like disruption too. Scent was impossible, with the onions Terra's found.]
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In return for his question, Terra will put one of his newly learned hand signals to good use: Not sure .
There isn't any immediate danger that he can see, but it's worth getting up and moving to the edge of their camp to investigate. Vanguard starts to wander after him, but Bee reassures him and motions for him to tend to the food. With a certain amount of reluctance, he obliges Bee, though his eyes are more on Bee than what he's cooking.
Bumblebee steps up over the slight incline in the earth that outlines their makeshift camp.
His wanderings will take him to the edge of the treeline where he'll pause, brows rising in surprise and interest.
From this new angle, he'll see a rather large swath cut through the foliage. He kneels down to inspect the earth more closely. Not cut... but trampled? It's as if either a large digimon, or at least a herd of them, have trampled their way through the forest recently. In a hurry.]
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But that may have to wait, as there's more serious matters at hand. Like whatever it is that has Bumblebee so wary. He trusted his own instincts, which didn't seem to be ringing any alarm bells at the moment, but part of traveling with someone else is also relying on their senses. And if something might be up, it's best to be careful. The trampled treeline is noted only after Bumblebee makes it obvious that's what he's looking at, but it didn't seem terribly important unless whatever ran through the area came back. Some sort of herd?]
..Here, hold these.
[Almost absently, Terra hands the onions to Dorumon, who reluctantly takes the things - they smell awful to him.
Might as well get some height and look around. The divot they'd found was useful for temporary camps, with its ridges making for snug places to lean but it didn't make for good looking around. A tree on the other hand would be. So Terra goes climbing. A lot of practice means his wide-legged pants don't even get in the way much. A brief shower of leaves later and he pops out among the foliage, looking around alertly. There still.. doesn't seem much obvious, and nothing really looked out of place save the trail. Maybe it was a common travel path.. might not be wise to stay on it.]
I don't see anything from up --
[Swinging back down from his perch and onto a lower branch does, on the other hand, put their campsite into neat view.]
... Here. ... Is that a footprint.
[There's something in Terra's tone, its utterly flat question that isn't exactly like a question as he points straight down.]
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Whatever Bumblebee had heard from before is too faint now to really matter. They're surrounded by the regular, nonthreatening sounds of of the forest around them.
He watches Terra take the high ground, shielding his eyes from the early afternoon sun. He seems to know what he's doing, so any concern Bee might feel is quickly dismissed.
Vanguard just crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow, distracted temporarily from cooking. He throws Dorumon and his handful of onions a curious expression, his eyebrow raised]
He always do this kinda thing?
[Bumblebee's eyes widen all of a sudden, shifting from where he's standing and up to Terra again.
Another hand signal because he just can't believe what he thought he heard:
Repeat?]
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I don't know, we haven't been adventuring much yet.
[He can admit it! But maybe it's important! And ... this issue of footprints is a bit alarming, causing Dorumon to look around but everything seems fine to him. Except the onions. and the trampled ground, but whatever came through was gone, right?
Terra seems less certain things are any good.]
Footprint. Uh. Here, I'll show you, come here.
[Did Bumblebee know how to climb trees? Well it doesn't matter one way or another, Terra's got no issue at all swinging a little lower on his branch and offering a hand. One perk of spending years honing physical strength is having a whole lot of it eventually - if Bee takes the offered hand, he'll simply be hauled right up into the tree as well. It offers a much better view of camp.]
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If it is a footprint, it's probably a hundred miles away by now. [He gives the little campfire a little encouragement, using his abilities to work up the fire. Almost finished. It'll be ready as soon as Bee and Terra are finished monkeying around. The last bit is said ridiculously loud, loud enough that Terra and Bee will hear it.] It's fine. So long as they don't break their necks and waste this food I so lovingly crafted! FROM SCRATCH.
[Bumblebee is well accustomed to getting to high ground for a good vantage point. But he's never been small enough that the good vantage point was on a tree of all things. Terra's hand is actually very helpful, and once he's up, he'll survey the sight himself.
Well that's nothing short of alarming. He'll have to fetch his D-Terminal for a more detailed answer.]
That. Is definitely a footprint.
[He squints, making out the earthen imprint of muscled feet and holes in the ground where claws have dug in. For their entire camp to be dwarfed by the footprint means that they're looking at something ridiculously large. Well... large compared to them, anyway. The track they'd found isn't nearly as defined, or freshly disturbed.]
Recent. Within past two or three days maybe? Wherever it was going, it was going in a rush.
[Bee's eyes search out their origin, and from where they stand, Bumblebee can just barely make out a patch of disturbed forest, where a violent altercation looks to have taken place. There are what appear to be blackened areas that look suspiciously like scorch marks and deep gouges in the wood.]
[He'll lightly tap Terra's arm and motion towards it.]
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[Dorumon doesn't want whatever made those prints to find them, no sir. That would only end badly. A digimon that could make a print that big had to be at least the size of a tyrannomon!
Terra meanwhile is comfortable on his branch and unlikely to fall off and break his neck. But maybe there really was something to the digimon needing them for more than just a power source. Neither Dorumon nor Vanguard seem much interested in investigating what could be a serious danger ... just himself and Bumblebee.
And back to text. It conveyed a lot more than rude handsign did.]
And it's heading in the same direction we are. I want off its trail as soon as we're finished with our meal. It might take a bit longer but if this thing backtracks I don't want to be here when it does. Better safe than sorry. If it has to go through trees and not this path we'll hear it coming at least.
[Especially leaving clawmarks and burnmarks that high..
It seems until now Vanguard's blatant yelling has been ignored, but finally Terra swings down from his perch. Where'd his onions go?]
No shouting from here out unless it's an emergency, and that goes for you, Vanguard. We're not set up to deal with hungry digimon taller than the trees are, and little digimon surrounded by the smell of cooking food being noisy might attract the wrong kind of attention.
Do you think it'll come back?
Maybe. Not a lot of predators that don't like an easy meal.
[A glance back at Bumblebee; he's been in plenty of hazardous situations himself, but the Autobot turned human was probably older and more experienced. If Bee agreed, then all well and good but if not, maybe there would be alternatives..]
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[Bumblebee's lips are set in a thin line as Terra speaks. He doesn't know what would make tracks like that, but he'd rather not find out. He stays up for a little longer than Terra, eyes scanning the landscape. Thinking to himself.
Vanguard also makes a small, choked sound at the realization that to a large digimon, he really is a tasty little morsel standing next to a very aromatic campfire topped with cooking food.]
I get it I get it. I'll keep the lips zipped.
[Bee finally steps off the branch and lands lightly next to Terra. He does have quite a bit of experience scouting and navigating unfamiliar territory, but most of his experience comes from very different worlds. He values a second opinion when he can get it, particularly someone like Terra.]
Agreed. Let's get off this trail.
You thinking about taking any routes in particular?
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[Dorumon's being quiet now, and subtly kicking the onions away. If not stinking was part of their plan, then those things needed to go elsewhere, and now. Terra manages an almost-encouraging smile as Vanguard seems to realize the potential danger of their situation, and nods. It's best... to be careful.
Better careful than eaten.
Bumblebee's hop down is watched, just to make sure he can handle the difference between robot and human when it comes to hopping off things and not breaking an ankle.]
Not really. We've been taking a direct route north-east til now, but that seems the approximate path this trail's headed. Maybe we could cut straight east til we hit the cliff and follow it northwards, see if it gets us where we're going. If not, we'll see where it does go and backtrack from there?
[It's an idea. It's not much of one, but it's better than standing around.]
..But first, let's eat so Vanguard's work doesn't go to waste. Clean up then move. Just keep your senses peeled. If anything seems weird, anything at all, just notify someone.
[That goes for all of them.]