[tri OOM] Barry, Cisco, and File Island

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato brings Barry and Cisco out through the same hilltop telephone booth he used to bring Autor through a few weeks back, out onto a cliff with a pretty good view of the island.

The island's central point is a mountain that looks more like a sheer spike of rock, and radiating outwards from it are a lot of very different places: Closest to the mountain, there's a pastel-coloured village of some kind that looks like it might be made of cushions; a tropical jungle with a ruined temple of black and brown stone jutting out of it; and a desert with gear markings carved into the ground and a single, leafy mountain in the centre.

Spreading out further than that, there are forests; some kind of icy tundra; a large town with a glittering white castle; a small village covered by a dark cloud; some kind of factory belching smoke into the air; and a plain covered in railroad tracks and ruined trains. Just down from the cliff, there's a lake with a camp set up next to it.

"All right, File Island," Yamato says, shutting the door. "Oldest part of the Digital World."

Comments

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato laughs a little as he speeds past Cisco, speeding around the next corner and rebounding off a building before rocketing towards the end of the first lap. A few of the Penmon also start to come up behind Cisco, squawking loudly.


"It is okay," Monzaemon says, comfortingly. "After all, if they are too noisy, I can always bubble them until they calm down. My bubbles are soundproof. And full of love."

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco jerks in his seat, like he could somehow scootch the car into a higher gear.

The Penmon starting to pass him is the last straw, and Cisco goes for broke. Waiting for his moment, Cisco jerks the wheel hard as another Penmon passes. He slams into the other car hard enough to knock his onto two wheels for a moment. The Lego brick drops free and Cisco floors it, leaving behind the shrieking bird.

[run_barry]

"Full of love, huh? That sounds like just what those two need."

Surely both Cisco and Yamato could use love bubbles in their lives, right?

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"I WILL WREAK THE MOST EXQUISITE VENGEANCE ON YOUR TEETH, HUMAN!" is the scream that follows him as he speeds away.

Yamato sees Cisco in his mirror and just focuses on continuing to drive, swinging around another corner as he tries to keep up his lead.


Monzaemon tilts his head, thinking. "Well, I don't know. This is the first time I'm meeting one, and the second time meeting the other -- since the Reboot, at least."

After a moment's thought, he flicks a paw, and across the town appear rings just large enough for a car to fit through, formed of light. There are rainbow ones with little electricity signs hovering around them, and red ones with 'x' marks hovering about them.

It's probably not difficult to figure out which ones give a speed boost, and which ones cause a momentary deceleration.

[makes_the_toys]

Oh, Cisco totally knows a boost when he sees one.

Just as he's starting to lament the ground he's lost on Yamato the rings appear. Without hesitation Cisco steers into one with the rainbow and lightning bolts.

[run_barry]

Barry sips his tea, watching the action and listening to Monzaemon.

"I'm glad this place came back after the reboot. I know it's not all the same, but still, it's good that it's here."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

The boost seems to nearly double his speed, if only for a second. Yamato gives Cisco a quick grin, the two of them now side by side, before moving to try and ram the side of his car against Cisco's.

It looks very much like he's attempting to shove Cisco into a rapidly approaching black ring.


"It's strange, not really remembering anything before it happened," Monzaemon says. "If it weren't for Elecmon and Centalmon, we might not know there even was a Reboot."

[makes_the_toys]

"OH!" Cisco grins, and punches back, butting into Yamato's car as the ring nears.

When they're right up on it Cisco jerks away, trying to force Yamato into the ring instead.

[run_barry]

"What do you mean?" Barry asks, turning his attention away from the race. "Do Elecmon and Centalmon remember the reboot?"

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato sees that that's what Cisco's trying to do, but he's just a shade too slow in reacting, and goes careening through the ring, with a somewhat surprised, somewhat delighted laugh.

His speed drops sharply for a few seconds before he starts accelerating again, chasing Cisco.


Monzaemon hums lightly, rubbing one ear with a paw. "No. But they're given certain privileges. In-built knowledge of how the world works. Enough that they figured out it had happened."

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco crows triumphantly and keeps driving. Aiming for another booster ring, he's knocked off target just before reaching it by a Penmon.

"Ya jerk!"

[run_barry]

"Huh. Well that's interesting. Why only them?" he asks.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Good job, Penmon!" Yamato calls, as he drives through the booster ring Cisco missed, and immediately uses the burst of speed to draw up alongside Cisco and aim for another booster.


"Elecmon receives the privileges he needs to be the caretaker for the Village of Beginnings," Monzaemon says, "and Centalmon the same to be the caretaker for the Temple. They occupy what could be called essential roles."

[makes_the_toys]

"It's mine!" Cisco shouts, butting his car against Yamato's, prepared to fight for the booster.

[run_barry]

"Ah, gotcha. That makes sense, then," he says with a nod, sipping his tea.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Screw you," Yamato snaps back, butting his car right back against Cisco's, trying to shove him out of the way.

A moment later, they both clip the booster at the same time, which is apparently enough to give them both a burst of speed towards the next corner.


Monzaemon very delicately takes a sip of his tea, watching. "... I wonder if I should add anything else for the last lap."

He's not necessarily thinking blue shells. That seems like it could end poorly.

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco continues to battle Yamato as they burst forward, trying to keep the inside lane through the turn.

"Get off my track, grandpa!"

[run_barry]

Turtle shells would be a terrible thing to add. As would some of the other Mario Kart traps.

"Maybe a couple of jumps?" he suggests after a moment. Surely a ramp or two couldn't be too disastrous, right?"

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato lets out a short growl, swerving the back of his car about to try to knock Cisco into the wall through the turn.


"Jumps would be good," Monzaemon agrees, placidly. "Perhaps a few more obstacles, too."

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco fishtails for just a moment, but keeps his head and plays the wheel and gas expertly, straightening out and jumping forward to just squirt past, safe from colliding with the wall.

[run_barry]

"Sounds great," he says with a grin, trusting Monzaemon not to make anything too dangerous for the racers.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato can feel -- and, well, see -- himself falling behind slowly, losing a foot or two to Cisco every couple of seconds, with the third and last corner of the lap getting close.

He veers towards a booster ring, hoping that Cisco can't cut him off before he gets to it, and with full intent to swerve immediately through a narrow shortcut as soon as he's boosted.


"How do you know the two of them, anyhow? I hope you're good friends. With warm hugs," Monzaemon says, very somberly indeed.

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco is having a blast. Enough so that he's willing to play it a little risky.

Seeing the boost coming up he hangs to the side, waiting as they get closer, and closer, and at that last moment he streaks sideways for the ring.

With the window so slim he'll either get there in time, collide with Yamato, or just miss. That's what makes it thrilling.

[run_barry]

Barry can't help laughing at the idea of warm hugs from Yamato, but it's the good-natured kind of amusement.

"Yeah, we're pretty good friend," he answers, pleased to say it.

"Cisco I met after an accident. He was part of a small group who helped me when I was sort of in the hospital. And Yamato I just kind of ran into one day. I was a bit lost at the time and he helped me out."

Both answers are true, if a bit simplified by skipping a few details.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Cisco's car clips the front of Yamato's, and Yamato ends up spinning around the ring instead of through it, while Cisco's just barely passes through.

Yamato swerves about and through the shortcut anyway, emerging on the other side of the upcoming turn, although he's not entirely sure whether that'll be enough to keep up with a boosted Cisco.


Monzaemon gives a grave nod.

"I do not know," he says, sagely, "what a hospital is."