[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

[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."

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco is giddy as his gamble pays off and he still gets the boost. His joy is short-lived when Yamato's shortcut closes most of the gained advantage.

"CHEATER!"

Never mind he did the same thing not too long ago.

[run_barry]

"Oh. Well, uh, a hospital is a place for sick and injured people. It's where they go to get medical help from doctors and nurses," he replies, watching to see if that explanation helps any.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato laughs, speeding after Cisco, although he can't help but notice that Cisco's still gaining distance on him, bit by bit.

As they speed past the end of the second lap, he's a good fifteen meters behind him, and searching for a way to even out the odds.


"I do not exactly know what a doctor or nurse is," Monzaemon says, placidly. "But they sound very helpful."

He waves his paw as the two racers pass the second lap, and several glowing ramps appear scattered throughout the course, along with crackling silver rings surrounded by lightning bolts and stars, both on the ground and in the air, moving sedately from side to side.

He gives his paw another wave and adds a few extra obstacles in the form of patches of ice and marshmallowy looking roadblocks.

[makes_the_toys]

"YES!" Cisco exclaims with mad glee when he sees the first ramp.

He immediately cuts towards it, possibly sacrificing some of his lead to get to it, but counting on the jump and the silver lightning ring to more than make up for it when he hits them.

[run_barry]

Barry tries to think of a way to equate doctors to something Monzaemon might know.

"Like a healer? They have the knowledge and skill to make people feel better; with medicines, or procedures. They're definitely very helpful people. My dad was a doctor and he saved a lot of lives."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato takes a quick stock of the road ahead: He's closer to the ramp, marginally, at least insofar as it's on his side of the road instead of Cisco's, but if he misses it, there isn't another silver ring ahead for a while.

So he swerves towards the ramp as well, moving to slam the front of his car into Cisco's and hopefully knock him off course enough for Yamato to make the jump into the ring instead.


Monzaemon tilts his head.

"We just eat, here," he says. "The data and energy from the food can replace that which we've lost to injury. So long as our Kernels aren't damaged or corrupted."

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco fights for the ramp, but loses out after the knock from Yamato. He catches just enough of the ramp to gain air, flying up into a barrel roll that misses the ring, but still has him sailing a fair distance.

Spinning through the air, Cisco's car does a pair of rolls, righting just before his tires meet the road again and he shoots forward, still on course.

[run_barry]

Barry nods in understanding to that.

"Right. Most humans can't get over serious things that way, it's why we-- " Barry's words cut off when he sees Cisco shoot into the air, spinning like a corkscrew before hitting the road and zooming off again.

"-- need doctors," Barry finishes, shaking his head at the crazy stunt. "It's great that you guys can, though."

Healing is definitely an awesome thing to be able to do.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato goes flying off the ramp and straight through the ring, meanwhile, catapulting him forward with a second-and-a-bit burst of triple speed, before landing just before the first corner.

(He does not get to see Cisco's stunt, otherwise he surely would be yelling 'THAT WAS AWESOME,' right now.)

He has to swerve hard to avoid crashing straight into a building as he lands, and ends up pinballing off a wall before shooting down the road.


Monzaemon hums thoughtfully, and flicks his paw again, manifesting a few football-sized spheres scattered across the course: Maybe half a dozen bright yellow ones with lightning bolts, and three or four blue ones with cross signs on them.

As a Penmon who swerves into a bright yellow sphere finds, they seem to be items that can be stored one at a time and used at the driver's discretion, appearing as a glowing symbol over the speedometer that can be pressed to activate it: The yellow ones to provide a quick boost, and the blue ones to be sent hurtling at enemies to momentarily slow them down.

"It is very necessary for most Digimon. We are inclined towards fighting," Monzaemon says, afterwards. "Although I prefer not to, myself. I would much rather teach people about sharing, and kindness."

[makes_the_toys]

For a moment Cisco is stunned by what he's just done, and then he's crowing ecstatically while peeling around the corner.

When the yellow lightning bolts appear he's quick to snatch up one, confused a moment when no burst comes, then realizing what he has.

"HAHAHA, YES!"

Now he's after another ring, ready to use the boost he picked up and the silver ring at the same time.

[run_barry]

"I don't really like fighting myself," Barry admits, looking down into his empty tea cup. "But I do when I have to, to help people."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato swings into one of the lesser boost rings, hoping to use it to increase his lead -- and the boost carries him forward into a crowd of densely packed Penmon, forcing him to slow slightly just to weave through them.

Meanwhile, it seems like there's a silver ring on ground level just before the first turn, for Cisco. As it turns out, the boosts do stack pretty well, for a slightly absurd times six boost.


Monzaemon nods gravely. "Sometimes, doing so is unavoidable," he agrees.

[makes_the_toys]

When Cisco hits the ring and triggers the burst it's enough to pin him back in his seat.

"HOLY WARP DRIVE!"

Reaching the Penmon, Cisco doesn't slow down, he just batters his way between cars, butting them aside to pass.

[run_barry]

"Yeah. I guess that's just how it goes sometimes."

Turning back to the action, Barry shakes his head.

"I think we're gonna have a wild finish here."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato can't help but laugh, even as Cisco overtakes him again, putting a not inconsiderable distance between the two, scattering Penmon in the process.

There's both a lightning and a blue sphere ahead of him, just behind where Cisco's boost deposited him. Yamato thinks for a moment, then rams his car into one of the angrier Penmon's, forcing it to pick up the blue sphere, before he picks up the yellow one himself.

"VICTORY FOR THE PENMON!" The Penmon booms, as soon as it has Cisco in its sights, and a flash of blue lightning crackles between its car and Cisco's, exerting a second-long slowdown.

Yamato activates his boost at the same time, speeding towards Cisco.


"This whole race has certainly been close," Monzaemon agrees. "And full of stunts."

[makes_the_toys]

"AW, Noooooo!" Cisco bemoans, both hands on his wheel and yanking in a tantrum, like that could push the car back up to speed.

"Penmon you suck!" He shouts, just as his power returns and he jumps back up to speed again.