becomemod | WEEK 3 CYOA: Ace, Temenos, Vane

[ Vane comes over just in time to see Ace sniffing at the rib. ]

Don’t eat it? You’re gonna get yourself sick, dumbie.

[ Smaller humans — ]

Kids?

[ no, no, eat it, it'll be funny.

anyway. he nods along to vane at that - kids - and glances up at patamon. ]

... What are they, if they've increased? It doesn't seem to bode well.

[ Ace, don't eat that. Gabumon is looking at the rib with interest. Maybe it's food for these critters?

The next kick gets the door to snap open. Beware of splinters. On the other side of the door is a music room. There's a very dusty piano here, and some posters that are illegible. There are a few books here, but they're also dusty. A look through them will reveal sheet music, but any other writing is in a weird alphabet.

"Yes...?" Loppy replies with a tone that says they don't exactly know what the difference between a kid and an adult is. When all you have seen is children and only extremely rarely, you really don't know what a kid is.

Patamon, "They're servants of the Master." ]

Right. Kids.

[ ace forgot children exist. anyway oh if gabumon finds it interesting. he hands over the rib. here you go buddy!!!

waltzes into the piano room the only room with dust and goes to look at the dusty sheet music. ah, yes. he can't read this. ]

"The Master"? [ ominous name ]

[ Well… Vane’s no music expert, but he’ll at least examine the piano and see if it works. Otherwise he’ll set Lopmon back on the ground to do his own little exploring around the room if he wants. ]

Ugh… all this dust is gonna make me sneeze…

What even happened here for it to be abandoned? You guys said that haven’t seen humans living here… but they had to have built it, right?

[ stop forgetting kids exist.

temenos pats ace on the shoulder for his much better door kicking and then sets to exploring too! chalkboards or anything in here? music stands? instruments besides the piano? any other fun stuff to look at?

otherwise, he's going to focus on patamon. ] The Master.

[ whomst. ]

[ Isn't Ace the youngest person here (besides your buddies(?)). "Thank you, Ace!" Gabumon will hold onto the ribs for snackies later.

The piano does work! It's not even out of tune, despite clearly being abandoned.

Loppy, "It's always looked like this for as long as we can remember."

There are chalkboards. Looking around, Temenos can find two bandages and chalk.

Patamon stays nearby Temenos and answers for the group. "They say he's the one who protects this world." But judging from Patamon's tone, they don't fully believe that. ]

[ ace is the baby of this group which is why he is out here testing the integrity of the windows (can they open) and seeing if there's anything inside the piano while vane plays it. hi vane. if one of these sheet music are important we are fucked ]

So should we be going to talk to this guy?

[ he sounds so dubious. this sounds like a government thing he doesn't want it ]

[ oh wow ace is around ]

A name like that is kinda… really weird. Sounds more like the type of guy we gotta beat up?

[ BOSS BATTLE? ]

[ gasps my heals. he will take those. they seem significant. yoink. also taking the chalk bc why not? anyway if the sheet music is important piano playing is a catholic skill (not clickbait) so he'll look at them briefly but he's much more interested in the plot ]

What is he protecting it from, precisely? [ with the exact same tone of dubious that-is-absolutely-not-the-case-huh ] Strange travelers?

[ Nobody here can read the text on the sheet music, but the music notes look like they're for piano.

Gabumon considers this question, "I don't think he'd listen to you, if you tried to talk."

Loppy, ears dragging onto the floor and walking back to Vane, tugging on the hem of his pants. "If you want to fight him, I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

Patamon, doubtful, "To keep the world from falling apart."

It might be true, it might not be. The school here is rundown, and so was the temple they arrived in front of. Was that simply neglect, or does the world require something only the Master can provide? ]

[ looks at the other two in a kind of long suffering way. can they all see where this is going ]

I'm not here to topple world leaders or whatever. So let's say we ignore that guy... have any humans ever managed to leave from this place or do they all just go work for him?

[ sorry he can’t look at ace so he’s just getting a small nod, good question.

He’ll try examining the inside of the piano, just to ensure there’s nothing hiding inside before Lopmon comes tugging on his pants. Hello? ]

You don’t need to worry about me, haha. All three of us are pretty strong! But I really appreciate it.

[ Cute… anyway… ]

Is there maybe, like… a hidden exit or something? Or maybe the kids before went into hiding? It’d make sense, with the running water and all — why would this building need that if people haven’t been here at least recently?

[ are the kids just hiding underground from this master guy… that’d be funny ]

[ temenos makes his way over, and sits down at the piano. ]

... To keep it from falling apart? Seems like he's done a wonderful job. [ this is so fucking sarcastic, as he takes a pointed look at the dusty and miserable piano room. this whole ass place is falling apart.

patamon being doubtful makes patamon valid. temenos plunks at the keys briefly, letting the other two ask for a moment: always better to let someone talk. though he's listening, he'll take the sheet music and begin to play the music notation on the piano! catholic skills! is this a jrpg secret easter egg. ]

[ Gabumon thinks about it, "They don't work for him. I've never seen a human with his group before."

There's something inside of the piano! It's a slightly bigger bandage.

"I'll be strong as long as you believe in me, Vane." They shake their head. "This place has always been like this. Even when there aren't humans."

"It could get worse. There could be nothing here." Probably. Possibly. The world is a state of disrepair, but it isn't completely gone. For now. If what the Master says is true.

Temenos plays the sheet music and he gets to hear the somber melody. ]

[ it's weird that vane keeps not looking at him. oh well!!!! surely this isn't meaningful in any way!!!! ]

Okay. So the Master has a bunch of evil servants, and there's some other human kids around? Should we go find the kids...?

[ ace just straight up whatever they're evil moving on while tem plays dramatic music in the bg ]

[ yeah don’t worry about it he’s just being quirky hehe

He’s pocketing this big bandage for his strong little guy. I won’t dump how he feels hearing someone talk about protecting him, but it makes him feel safe.

also I’m stupid and may have forgotten but did we establish if there was a cafeteria area in the school building… ]

Should we gather some water before we leave? We don’t know how long this’ll last, but we can’t be going thirsty.

[ he's playing music so he conveniently misses vane asking about carrying water. someone who's strong should do that. not temenos! thanks

when he finishes, he frowns, letting the last note resonate. ]

I suppose so. [ to fetching but also to finding kids? ] If there's currently no path home, we may as well make ourselves immediately useful.

[ where do we go next ]

[ Gabumon stays next to Ace as they make their plans for the future.

Also yes, there is a cafeteria area, you all just went to classrooms and the locked door. There's actually a decent stock of canned and jarred goods that are fit for human consumption. Weird, but this entire place sure odd. The gas stove works, the pots and pans are also clean, but none of these critters can even reach that high. Loppy will follow Vane and help him carry as much as they can (they're very short, they're trying so hard).

Patamon, local navigator, "We can go to the cave near the shrine? Maybe you'll get some ideas by looking at it." ]

If the cave isn't that far, we should be fine just coming back here for shelter afterwards.

[ he doesnt mind carrying food and water but it looks like they're not going on a Journey or anything so. but also ]

You guys know if there's any like... sticks or pipes laying around?

[ "digimon are your weapons" let them fight ]

[ I’m so sorry but before he asks anything else he’s gonna look through the canned foods and see if he can heat something up on the stove.

He’s hungry. ]

Vane. Focus.

[ reaching for the back of his cape before he gets too far im losing it ] You'll survive until we get a chance to explore.

[ but otherwise, yeah, before they bounce too far, temenos agrees? were there music stands in that music room because i will take one. ]

Anything would work, yes. I'd prefer that, as well. Once we've armed, let's head for this cave, then.

[ just like home... ]

[ There is a conductor's baton and a single music stand.

"You can find sticks on the ground." Where else would you find a stick, Ace? "There's a park that has pipes. It's much further away and in the opposite direction."

Vane can find a can of tomato soup before Tem pulls him away. ]

[ he was thinking of something a little BETTER than a BRANCH but okay ]

Let's just go to the cave and get this over with.

[ no weapons is fine it's whatever!! he's letting tem wrangle vane but also he will leave without either of them because he's like this I'm so sorry ]

[ He’s being pulled away and he might mumble a complaint or two but ultimately follows…

But he’ll pocket that soup can just in case. ]

I just thought we could get something in our stomachs before we went off, but okay.

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