Digital Balance (Sweet and Amanda)

[SweetSerenade]

Tai chuckled just a little at the look on his future wife's face. He knew she was thinking about just as much as he, and he knew that she believed there was a lot to do. He himself realized there was a lot to do, and he realized that he didn't know how long they would be there. He would have to take the time to leave go buy a giant stock of condoms. He'd ask his parents to make sure that he and Sora had their apartment taken care of, but with their apartment manager being part of the city that knew they had saved them before. At least he hoped that people would give them some leeway because of it. It'd be all over the news, and all it would take is them going in.

He felt bad, almost like he'd be taking advantage of people with that. But with Sora and Tai having to put both of their lives on hold, the chances were they didn't have anywhere near enough savings to keep their apartment going in that time period. But he was distracted by the way his fiancee was moving currently. His cock twitched in response, as he gave a rather private grin. He'd start things off a little later.

"You know, Kari and TK have a job." He stated as he left the car and hauled the food after him. He dropped it off and stole some for himself as he sat down and started to eat a little. He chewed and swallowed before continuing. "And our apartment is much closer to their High School - than my parents place or Takeru's parents place... So perhaps we could offer to let them stay here and take care of it - and pay rent, while we are gone. With the understanding that when we get back we can help them get an apartment of their own?" He said to his future wife. Wondering if she'd like his idea.

Mei was lost in her thoughts, glad she had a more contemplative and silent Digimon. A cold sweat broke over her body as the fit continued, and the mental sensations of images flashed through her. She was remembering her fathers death, and the video someone in his unit had sent them. The death of her father, and the stress of everything else. As her mind settled she flashed with images of Kuwagamon's body, and the way it had triggered her thoughts about her father's body.

Her breath came in sharply as she heard Yamato's voice and she took in a shaking breath as she gathered herself. "I am not ok, I am never ok when I'm stressed. I ... I have PTSD..." She whispered as she rubbed her hands over her knees. She was slightly chilly without her dress shirt, and now wished she had a jacket of some sort with her. She was cold not because it was actually cold, she was cold because her body was having a mini-shock episode.

"I want a cigarette, please... just give me one... or three.. or something. We can smoke in the van if you want to get going. We can go as soon as Gabumon gets out here. But please... just get me away from here." She whispered as she started rubbing her hands over her face. Green eyes holding torment and pain, and a darkness that was only shown by those that had seen death.

[Amandashow]

Sora flipped on the lights as she entered, kicking her shoes off at the threshold before padding down to the house proper. A long hallway stretched directly into the kitchen, branching off twice for a guest bedroom and bath at either side. Beyond the kitchen's tile floors lay their messy bedroom and living area, behind a sliding panel door. The apartment felt cozy rather than small, thanks in no small part to Sora's decorum sense. It was just the two of them, after all, they did not require too much space and the second bedroom was primarily used for storage and the infrequent guest. Tonight it would serve as somewhere their Digimon could sleep. A large futon was spread out on the floor with a pile of clean blankets, far enough from their bedroom to allow them privacy. And judging by the way Tai was trying to pass off his looks as casual; Sora knew he was certainly enjoying what he saw.

"Wash up," she instructed the digital monsters, sending them scurrying to the nearest sink and soap and water. She seated them all at the meager table after retrieving two steel folding chairs from the hall closet. They entertained so irregularly. She retrieved a taco from the pile inside the box and unwrapped it, considering his proposal quietly. "I suppose, yea," she replied after taking a bite. She would have continued with the thought but the morsel fueled the ravenous hunger gnawing at her belly and she quickly finished the taco in three more quick bites. Crumbling up the wrapper, she reached for a second, "They could just stay here and walk back and forth though..." she grinned. "It might be a good idea to stock up on the condoms and leave them in a drawer somewhere for them. You remember what we were like when we first moved in?" She winked playfully at her future husband.

"What were you like when you first moved in?" Biyomon wanted to know, pausing from her pecks at the unfolded burrito before her.

Sora waved a hand at the Digimon, flushing red with embarrassment. She had forgotten all about their dinner guests. "Um, er, no-nothing! We were just fine." She snatched up another taco from the box and stuffed it into Biyomon's beak. "Now don't talk with your mouth full!"

Those requests were easy enough for Yamato to oblige. He nodded his head and reached into his breast pocket and produced the pack of Lucky 7's. A few sticks of matches were rumbling about inside with the cigarettes. "Keep it," he replied, pressing the box into her palm. "I can get more at my place. You look like you can use one...or three...or something." He lit his own cigarette then, cupping a hand over the flame until the end was blazing, then shook out the match. "I'm sorry," he murmured lamely. What else could he say? "I didn't know you had..." He trailed off. Of course he hadn't known she had PTSD, they had only just met a few hours ago. He rubbed at the back of his head, hair still damp between his fingers. "Let's get you out of here then." He placed his hands gently at her shoulders, helping the poor girl to her feet. "The van is just over there." He had to duck down low in order to help her get walking, standing more than a head taller than Mei. He bent forward and took easily slow steps with her, taking more of her weight into his side until she felt well enough to walk on her own.

Gabumon appeared at the top of the ramp, glancing around the scene until he spotted them and hurried over. "Yamato, is everything alright?" he asked, peering at Mei in genuine concern.

Yamato jerked his head forward, gesturing to the van. "Just get the door open for Mei. She isn't feeling so great. I'll turn on the AC when we get inside, maybe that will help?" Gingerly, he helped the girl into the seat and snapped her lap belt into place, worrying over the girl like a hospital nurse. "Let me know if you're going to be sick again. I'll try to pull over."
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[SweetSerenade]

"I think it would be good for them, help them earn some self-worth and help them gain some responsibility. They could stay here, and experience living together for a bit. It'd be a good learning experience for them. " Tai said as he picked up another taco and began to stuff his face. He was almost laughing, mostly, at the rather motherly way Sora was acting. Already she was being a good mother, and they didn't even have any children yet. The man reflected on that, with a small smile on his face as he ate. He was actually amused, by his future wife, and was glad that she was already showing the sort of personality needed for them to have children together.

Not that they would, he wanted to wait for a bit after the wedding. Whenever they could get around to that. "Yeah, I figure leave a stock for them... and get some for ourselves." He said as he pushed more food towards Agumon. The digimon was as quiet as he usually was with eating, focusing on the calories needed to make himself feel better. He was glad his Digimon was feeling better. "Well I am sure they will be responsible, we did lead a good example." Tai pointed out as he gave a small laugh from the antics of Biyomon. "Don't worry about it, just eat up you two and get some rest. We will have to do a little shopping, and get some stuff packed... but you fought so you need more rest than us."

"I think we should hit the store while they sleep, and then get supplies we need. You need female stuff, I'm guessing... and we really should make sure we have everything we could need." Tai pointed out. "I also think I need a new bag, because my school backpack wouldn't be hardy enough to handle the trip we are taking. It is kinda worn down. We can leave a note for the apartment manager, and write emails to our respective jobs... and then go from there?"

Mei was shaking a little more, but accepted the pack that Yamato shoved at her. With a soft whimper she dug into it and pulled out one of the 'death sticks' as her mother had jokingly called them for most of the time Mei's father had smoked. With a sigh of relief she started to suck down on the stick, her shaking subsiding the more smoke she drew into herself. She let Yamato lead her, losing herself in a slight shocked haze. She knew Nyamon was following and the Digimon even hopped into the back as Yamato buckled Mei in.

"What's the Digital World like" Nyamon whispered to Gabumon, slipping on the buckle and looking at the other digimon. "I've never been there."

Mei shivered a little as she leaned back and then blew out a long breath. "My Apartment is about fifteen minutes from here, I'll give you directions as you head towards downtown." She whispered as she continued to smoke, her hands shaking less and less as she did. "Most don't remember I have PTSD, it was the reason I had Nyamon in High School." Mei whispered as her eyes slipped closed. She shook just a little, not willingly to tell him yet - as to why she had PTSD. She'd let him draw his own conclusions.

"I wont' get sick, I was mostly dry heaving... stress induced. I don't vomit unless I'm ill."

[Amandashow]

There was a convenience store just down the street from their apartment complex so what Tai suggested made sense. They couldn't just drag the Digimon into the Lawson's without raising tones of questions that would only hold them up and the last thing she wanted to do was stand around with armfuls of condoms, toiletries and food while Biymon and Agumon signed autographs. "Good idea," she agreed and plucked up another taco. "They look like they're going to pass out any minute now anyway. Maybe all this greasy, heavy food was too much for them?" She chuckled at her own humor and took a bite. Biymon was indeed starting to slouch in her chair, using her feathery arms as impromptu pillows on the tabletop.

"Am...not," Biyomon protested, sounding more like a cranky child now than ever before. It made Sora laugh and put her food down long enough to collect her Digimon partner and haul her to bed. "I'll get them all tucked in and then we can talk shopping list and strategy." Scooping the bird-like Mon into her arms, she carried her away into the back bedroom and carefully stretched her out on the mattress. She was out before they had even left the kitchen. She wondered how anyone could sleep so soundly knowing what was looming ahead. Sora fetched one of the blankets from the pile and draped it over the two digital monsters once they were laid down. Tai wasn't too far off. From there, they looked like two small children, snuggling with their backs pressed together and softly snoring.

Maybe I should take a page from their book, she considered, creeping out of the room on tip toe and switched off the light. Taking one last peek inside the room, she softly closed the door behind her. She should take this problem one thing at a time, one step at a time.

The parking lot was mostly deserted now save for a few straggling cars left behind when the motorist bewilderingly chose to flee the scene of the attack on foot. Yamato twisted the key in the ignition and, in stark contrast to Tai and Sora's experience, the engine rumbled to life at once. Turning around in his seat, he carefully backed out of the space and merged onto the road and into oncoming traffic.

He kept the windows cracked and the AC on full blast, ashing his cigarette out the window while stealing concerned looks over at Mei. He chewed his lower lip anxiously before throwing caution to the wind and reached over to cup a palm over her forehead. "You feel a little warm," he informed her. "You sure you're okay?" He tried to focus on driving, turning where she indicated and following her directions back to her place. Still, he couldn't shake the urge to hover though he had no idea where it had come from or why. It was shaping up to being a strange sort of evening that had nothing to do with Kuwagamon's attack. He had had so little to drink, smoke and fuck that day it left him dazed. By this point in the evening, he would have been thoroughly inebriated by alcohol or drugs, fooling around with some (un)lucky groupie backstage before heading back to his place.

Trying to distract himself from bothering the woman further, he switched the radio on and turned up the volume. Mei didn't seem in the mood to talk much about her PTSD and he felt it bad form to press the issue. Honestly, he could not remember what the service animal had been for in school and felt strangely bad for not recollecting that fact. The speakers came alive with an old Teen-Age Wolves tune and he instinctively changed the station. A moment later, David Bowie's soothing voice was crooning about a man who sold the world....

Gabumon considered the question for a bit, momentarily puzzled at how to describe the digital world to another digimon. Had any Mon ever had to? "It's a land full of Digimon, just like you and I. It's a fantastical place where anything can happen. It's..." He paused, smiling wistfully at the thought of the Digital World. "It's home. You'll see." He turned to Nyamon, brimming with excitement for the feline. "I bet once you see the place, you'll instantly know that you and your trainer belong." 

[SweetSerenade]

Tai bit back a small laugh as some imagery game to mind. He was imagining what it would be like to travel around with Digimon that had been made famous. He watched Agumon, and noticed the same things Sora had been. Slowly but surely the Digimon were getting filled up, and their energy was flagging. When Biyomon protested he gave a laugh and set his food down so that he could help Sora get the Digimon into bed. He went with her, setting down Agumon and stepping back as she laid the blanket across the sleeping mons. They looked peaceful, and didn't look at all like creatures that would be fighting again soon enough. It made him said, that the Digital world wasn't at peace yet. That Digimon couldn't just relax and enjoy life.

"You'll make an amazing mother." he blurted out, his mind having run so far ahead of him with his thoughts about digital travel - that he said the observation that had been on his mind awhile. "Not that I plan on asking for that for a long time, and only when you are ready." Tai said as he tried to fix his fuck up of slipping up on his words. "Awww shit... Anyways...w e should talk about the things we need to get for the trip. Wanna go shopping and then send emails, or send emails first?" He asked as he looped his arm around Sora's shoulders.

Knowing her she'd want to get everything in order first, and then they could get to fun for themselves. He wasn't even a little tired at the moment, and the only thing he cared about was Sora and making sure this trip was handled as smoothly as possible.

Mei shook her head a little, when Yamato reached over to touch her. Her cheeks flaring with color as she leaned her head away and looked out the window. "I'll be fine, I promise." She whispered as she wrapped her arms around herself and then reached over to turn the A/C off a little. She was only wearing a sports bra at the moment, and her pants. She was feeling better, and now she was't even shivering anymore. She hummed a little as she continued to smoke, pulling out another and lighting it up.

"The driveway for my apartment block is between two old looking temple archways... " She said as she leaned against the window. She had a lot of options for survival traveling, and was now quite glad her father had taught her military packing - and had left her more than enough military contacts for anything she might needs. She had several cases or survival food, but she's just get to pack enough for two weeks, that was the standard her father had taught her. Which was going to be fine, because she'd still have room for clothes -and a first aid kit.

Maybe she'd even sneak in replacement piercings, in case something ever happened to the ones she had in, and she could sneak in a toy or two. She didn't expect to be having any sex, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy any pleasure. She cleared her throat a little, her cheeks flaming darker as she took a long drag.

Nyamon let her head cock to the side as she looked at the strange Digimon. A small smile on her face muzzle as she shook her head and then stretched out her paws and wiggled her toes. "I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about Mei." Nyamon said finally as she motioned to her partner. "She hasn't had any real human friends, except Kari and T.k.... In the states it was just us... and even after we came back to Japan... just us."

[Amandashow]

Sora was startled by the outburst, it had come quite literally out of the blue yet she blushed all the same. "Tai..." They had touched on the subject of course but never too seriously. Usually it was in jest while basking in the afterglow of a particularly passionate bout of lovemaking. They would toss around potential baby names, schools, what their parents would think/do, interrupted by the occasional fit of laugher or another round. She couldn't help but chuckle at his flustered behavior and the compliment clearly had been something of a Freudian slip but it was nice all the same. After all, if it came blurting out thoughtlessly, it meant that it was genuine and he was being quite sincere when he said she would make a terrific mother. "I think you'd make a pretty amazing dad," she replied, giving her future husband a peck on the lips. "But maybe let's talk about baby making AFTER we've put ourselves in mortal danger, m'kay?"

She led the way back down the hall and worked her toes back into the sneakers left at the door. "Why not do both at once? You have a phone. Send the emails while we're in route." She had already organized her thoughts into a mental checklist of items they needed to collect so now, it was a simple matter of retrieving them. She doubted a little 7/11 would have everything they would require for an extended stay in the digital world but it would have to be enough. Some of the other things would need to be picked up tomorrow morning before they departed, once the rest of the shops opened for business.
"We're going to need canned stuff and things we can wipe up easily outdoors. Flashlights, batteries, cooking fuel, matches, compass," she named them off on her fingers as they walked, going down the items in her head. "The problem is, we have no idea how long we're going to be gone for. We can pack for three months and be gone a year, or pack for a month and come back in a week." She shook her head, pursing her lips in frustration. "I'd rather be over-prepared than under but it's all so uncertain. There are too many 'If's about the trip." 'The trip', that was a laugh. As if this was going to quaint vacation for them and not another life or death struggle with countless lives in the balance. No pressure, sure.   

"There?" Yamato asked, pointing a finger ahead. He nosed the van through the archway, craning his neck down to see the tall rise of her apartment building jutting out at the end of the street. They passed through a series of streetlights, bathing in and out of the great white cones until he sidled up to the curve and slammed the vehicle into park. He had to admit, Yamato was curious to see what the inside of her apartment looked like. You could tell a lot about a person by the type of home they keep, more so if you can sneak a peek into their bedroom. Plus, she wasn't expecting company so Mei wouldn't have had any time to tidy the place up. He would learn more about the mysterious Mei by setting foot in her living room than anything she had shared thus far.
She may play things close to the vest and keep everyone at an arms-length but whether she liked it or not, Mei was going to give Yamato a crash course in her life.

Gabumon provided a sympathetic ear to his fellow Digimon, sharing her concerns. Mei certainly was the stand-offish sort. Nyamon did not seem to share those reservations herself tho and perhaps, Gabumon considered that the two could form an alliance to get the shy girl to open up. And who better for her to open up to than the bearer of the crest of Friendship himself? "Well now, it's still 'just us'," the Digimon smiled. "Only 'us' includes me and Yamato and Tai and Sora."
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[SweetSerenade]

Tai scratched the back of his head nervously, a faint coloring coming to his cheeks. Sora complimented him and his eyes burst with amusement as he reached out to pull her close and give her a smacking kiss on the lips. "Glad you think like that, I'd love to talk about it more after we save the world from destruction." He said as he released her and started to head towards the front door, a grin on his face and a pep in his step. He slipped on his shoes and then grabbed his jacket and car keys.

"Well, you could just... you know... send them. Since I'll be driving, I can't send emails." Tai pointed out to his fiancee. Since she was a strict woman when it came to driving safety, there was no way he was going to risk setting her off. "We can go to the 7/11, and we might be able to hit up that one grocery store. It's still open for another half hour, and it will only take ten minutes to drive there." He pointed out as he headed out the door, waiting for her and then closing and locking the door behind her.

Then he stopped and realized they were still wearing Mimi's clothes. "Perhaps we should change?"

Mei was quiet as he pulled up to the area she mentioned, and then was even quieter as they pulled up to her apartment. Nyamon seemed to be enjoying herself, even though Mei was focusing on regaining her composure. She drew in a deep breath and pressed her fingers over her eyes for the moment. She focused and then smiled shyly at Yamato. She slipped from the van and then climbed up the stairs to her apartment. She unlocked the door, and then sighed softly as she slipped off her shoes.

He found something tidy, organized, like the woman seemed to be. Everything in the main area was cleaned to a strangely perfectionist manner. Everything organized, and all of the furniture was natural wood. What Yamato would notice the most was as he walked up the main hall into the apartment. There was pictures of a very little mei, between a tall american man and a petite japanese woman. Her parents, and that man was in the pictures for awhile, and then suddenly vanished, and that smiling little girl had changed into a somber teen. A somber teen that eventually was standing alone in a picture where she received her Diploma.

But she had the image, in case any of her mothers extended family showed up. But everything about her home seemed... sorrowful - too neat, too tidy. Like the woman tried to control her life through her home. Well, that was the main part of her house. The living room had some clothes tossed about, and the futon couch was there for guests. "Do you want a drink? I think I have some Rum? Or is it a bad idea since you are driving? I need to dig out some of my father's old military gear, before I pack my bag." She said softly. "Oh, and you can smoke in here."

[Amandashow]

Sora considered the question, rocking back on her heels and studied her attire anew. They were indeed both still in dress better suited for a rock n roll concert than grocery shopping (not to mention quite filthy from the battle with Kuwagamon) but if they waited much longer, they would lose their window and have to scramble for supplies tomorrow. "If we don't go now the store will be closed by the time we get there," she replied. "Not to mention, that if I change out of this getup I'm going to want a shower." And Sora would be damned if she was going to hurry her way through a hot shower after the day she had had. In fact, forget the shower. It would be luxurious soak in a hot tub with those little scented salts she liked dissolving in the bottom.

It took some trying but Sora fished her cell out of her pants pocket again and thumbed open her email app. With the phone turned onto its side, she hastily typed out the messages as they descended the winding stairs and made their way through the small parking area toward Tai's beater. Normally she would have insisted on walking the short distance to the convenience store for supplies but Tai adored that old car and would sorely miss it while they were away. Boys and their toys, she thought with a sigh but was it so unreasonable to allow him another ride in the thing? So without protest she climbed into the passenger seat and snapped her lap belt into place. Internally, she made a bet with herself that the old machine wouldn't start until the fourth attempt.
The first email was away, visualized by an envelope rocketing across the touchscreen until it landed safely in a mailbox with its lid yawning open like a hungry mouth. Once the letter was inside, the red flag stood at attention with a cartoonish wobble before text flashed across the display, indicating a successful transmission.

"One down," she announced, waving her phone at Tai to show him the screen before starting the next. It was all roughly the same information and perhaps she could have just forwarded the same message to all of the intended parties but she didn't want to risk sounding too cold and formal to some and less than others and risk offense. No, it was better to personalize each, that way she could ensure there wouldn't be any confusion or need for more explanation later. They had precious little time as it was and she imagined their last night on Earth for some time as a giant hour glass. Like the one used to taunt Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz and she could only watch helplessly as the grains of sand fell away. Time was running out....

Yamato took in the apartment; thumbs hooked casually into the pockets of his jeans and rolled the cigarette from one corner of his mouth to the other. It was anti-climactic, that was for sure but then again, he had not quite known what to expect. The atmosphere of the place was formal, almost too much so, feeling like a hotel room than a place anyone actually lived. He dug the toe into the back of his boot and slipped them off easily one at a time, padding into the living room on bare feet since he never wore socks. He leaned down to inspect the wood furniture and it was just as he suspected. Not a speck of dust about the place.

"It's very...neat," he remarked, feeling like a grease spot surrounding by an encroaching wash of bleach. "Just you and...Nyamon?" He plucked the cigarette from his lips and looked around, momentarily confused to be without an ash tray readily available. As a last resort he ashed the stick into his shirt pocket. So she wouldn't be able to follow his eyes, he raised his sunglasses again and perched them atop his messy blond crown and studied the candid photos. Jackpot, he thought, elated. These would certainly prove to be the key to the mystery box that was Mei he had longed for. They were little windows into the woman's heart and he took his time exploring it thoroughly. The walls of the hallway proved a sort of timeline into the history of Mei, beginning with a few baby pictures and parents smiling broadly. Slowly the child would grow, the little wisps of black hair grew long enough to bind up into little pigtails and those cheesy grins gradually filled up with little baby teeth.

Her father was certainly an imposing fellow, a strong American military type that commanded authority even from years old pictures. Yamato moved down the line, watching Mei mature into a girl of ten or so, standing before a shrine with her father while she and her mother were dressed in traditional clothes. Mei's looked a little too large, the sleeves covering her fingers. Those dazzling green eyes were unmistakable though and all the color in the photograph seemed to radiate out from them. Maybe even all the color in the world.

His brow knit together at the next set. Her father was absent from these and he seemed to steal a lot with him. Mei and her mother were no longer smiling and because of that, the photo seemed muted somehow. As if it were a much older picture taken in black and white. A lot was beginning to fall into place in the jigsaw puzzle of Mei's wounded heart. He almost couldn't bear to move down the line and take in the rest but his legs were already in motion. When he got to the lonely graduation photo, Yamato had had enough and turned away, slipping his sunglasses down to shade his eyes. The world always looked better this way but after everything he had learned....

He forced a smile, none the less at the offered drink and smoke and nodded his head. "You're speaking my language. I'll take one of each, please and thank you!" The concern about his ability while driving was waved off. "Don't worry about me, I have a hollow leg." While on the road, he used to joke that he could handle his alcohol and that the problem was that nobody could handle him. He had played many of his shows while wasted on a combination of things and nobody seemed to notice...or maybe they didn't care. You worshipped Gods, not pity them, after all.

Yamato tried to watch Mei move about the apartment, trail after her rear end perhaps but couldn't will himself to do it. He felt too guilty, with her father's ghost lingering so strongly nearby. Mei wasn't just a woman, she was somebody's daughter, something he had never considered before about any girl. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, glancing anxiously down the hallway, half expecting to catch a glimpse of her phantom father shaking his head in disgust. It made his head pound all the harder, his tongue thirsty for that rum.

"Make that a double...actually."

[SweetSerenade]

Tai was glad that Sora didn't' question things too much. He was happy she was letting him drive his car. He let her slip in, but was glad that she was being nice enough to do all their emailing. It'd give him time to think about what he needed. "We should stock up on as much as we can, condoms... and seal them in airtight bags that we put into our bags... this way they don't run the risk of getting damaged at all." He murmured as he slipped the key into the engine. As if sensing that Tai was going to be leaving her for awhile... the old vehicle did something she hadn't done since they started dating.

With a throaty purr the car started up almost instantly, her engine sounding better than it had in a long time. "Wow... think this is goodbye for now... huh?" He said with a laugh as he patted the Dashboard and gave Sora a wink as she showed him that the first email had been sent off. "Nice, and we'll give the keys to TK and Kari tomorrow." he said with a grin as he started to drive to the store. He was glad they could go, because this would give them a chance to get a little shopping done, and get their heads collected for the task ahead.

"So what do you think the others are going to pack?"


Mei was quiet as she traveled around her kitchen area, returning with a small ashtray. As soon as her guest made it clear what he was looking for she slipped away to a cabinet in the living room. She pulled a small key off of a chain on her neck and opened it. "I lied... I have more." She admitted as she started to rifle through the bottles. They looked eclectically gathered, a strange collection that showed the places her family had been whenever they traveled. "Though not sure some of this is still good, though wines last well. The others... maybe not so much." She said as she left the cabinet open for him.

Nyamon and Gabumon had stayed back, and she was kind of glad for that. At least for the moment. "What would you like to eat? We should eat..." She commented as she walked over to the hall closet now and got down on her hands and knees to start going through the boxes in her closet. A hum in her throat as she found the old military trunk and started to dig through it. She knew she could handle her dads old gear, he had made sure she had always camped using military gear, so she knew how much weight she could actually handle.

Then she pulled out the military grade medical kit and opened it to check the supplies. She knew how to use everything there, as per her father's request and training, and knew it would come in use. "We're gonna take this." She commented as she set it down. Her dad had stocked up on a lot of supplies, before he had died, before he had been sent to war. Her mother had just refused to open this trunk since that moment. "You alright?" She asked as she looked back at her guest.

[Amandashow]

Sora blinked and looked up from the ghostly white glow of her phone's screen to glance at Tai. "It...started?" she asked in bewilderment, as if second guessing the rumbling sensation in her seat. She peered out the window, out the back at the tufts of trailing smoke in order to convince herself this wasn't all an elaborate trick of the vehicle in order to lull them into a false sense of security. It wouldn't, unfortunately, be the first time. She sent the last of the messages and wiggled the phone back into her pocket. "Okay, one less thing to worry about." The van wormed its way through the narrow streets toward the parking lot of the 7/11, Sora drumming her fingers on her raised knees while she thought. "They're probably thinking the same thing we are, honestly though with Yamato, he's probably going to have his own idea of what 'essentials are'." She scrunched her fingers up to curl in tight quotation marks. They both knew he had battled alcoholism in the past, more from the tabloids and entertainment news than Yamato's own admission. They never pressed the subject for fear of a backlash and often talked about the best ways to breach the subject. Tai was out, of course, the two had too much history and well....Tai was cute and funny and dependable for the most part but when it came to cornering his best friend in an intervention, he was hopeless. That left Sora to the task but each time she thought she had mustered the courage to bring it up, words failed.
"At least we won't be thirsty or have to look too far for a lighter."

They hopped out a moment later and entered the convenience store, the double doors parting before them with a chime. Sora draped a handbasket over her wrist and set to collecting things down the aisle. Murmuring to herself, she took up a few canned goods and dropped them in. "Tai, get a few bottles of water from the back will you?" she asked, turning slightly to call over her shoulder.

A young clerk was leaning over the counter, listlessly leafing through a large volume of Manga opened on the tabletop. When they entered, he offered the weakest of smiles before bowing his head again, pushing his square framed glasses up the bridge of his nose...only to have them slip down again.

She scooped a few cups of noodles into the cart next before going to the next aisle but found that it was nothing but candy and sweets and was about to skip it for the next one over but then...paused. Well, she considered, tapping a finger to her chin. It IS going to be a long trip....

Yamato caught the offered ashtray and set it aside on the table before mashing the filter of his cigarette down into the bowl. He didn't bother lighting another right away and instead peeked over Mei's shoulder to admire the collection of assorted bottles of spirits in the cabinet. A grin spread over his mouth and he reached forward to remove one from the shelf, spinning it around in his hands to inspect the date. "1930," he recited from the label. "Taste the flavor of a worldwide financial crisis." Yamato unscrewed the cap and sniffed at the fumes drifting from the mouth. He took a couple of tumblers from the sink and poured a little of the amber colored liquid into the bottom of each.

He offered one to Mei before raising the glass to the light, examining the texture better as it swirled about in the cup. Are you ready to dance with the devil? He thought and upended the glass. The alcohol burned at the back of his throat, the drink thicker than he imagined and felt like a solid hot lump rolling down his esophagus. It had a vague sweet tinge to it that lingered on the tongue. He hummed his enjoyment as the drumming at his temples ebbed away mercifully.

"Food sounds outstanding," he agreed, pouring himself another shallow drink. He watched her root around at the bottom of the cabinet, swallowing another thick mouthful before she produced the military grade equipment. His interested peaked; Yamato set the glass aside and bent down to inspect the supplies. It indeed had everything they could conceivably need for the excursion: bandages, rubbing alcohol, antiseptic ointments, painkillers etc. "Your dads?" he asked, already knowing the answer. He hefted the box and set it aside to be gathered up with the rest of the supplies they would likely be taking.
"Nothing, I'm fine," Yamato replied, having been caught starring down the hallway again, searching for her father's ghost. He was like a physical presence there, a heavy hand around his shoulders that seemed to warn him about the consequences of hurting his little girl. Secretly, he wished the man would appear. Why couldn't he be there to brow beat him into leaving Mei alone? Yamato deserved that and so much more. She would be hurt, he thought mournfully. Just like all the others...

He turned and wrenched open a few cabinets as if he were going to start making something for them to eat without a clue how to cook himself. His diet these days largely consisted of choice selections from the burnout food pyramid: cigarettes, booze, marijuana and if he was still conscious, some form of fast food or instant noodles. "What're you...um....in the mood for?" he asked, staring blankly at the collection of boxes.

[SweetSerenade]

Tai was quiet during the ride, very quiet but he flashed Sora a comforting smile when she confirmed the emails. "Thanks, I appreciate it." He said with a laugh as he pulled into the parking lot. They left his old beater car and entered the little store, he found himself humming one of Mat's songs as he headed into the back for water like Sora had requested. "We could also look into finding out about those water purification tablets... or even umm like a collapsible pot so we can boil water or something?" He commented as he came up beside his partner.

He was as unsure as her, and he was wondering if they should look into hitting up some sort of camping supply store. "Hey wait... isn't Mei like... the kid of a Military individual? She was right? She should have access to the military base... we could talk about taking a trip over there before we meet everyone tomorrow? So she can get us access to their base supply store?" he commented, it was a brilliant idea - Tai had them on occassion.


Mei was quiet as she dug everything out and started organizing and opening things up. She knew how to haul around all of her dads old gear. But when Mat started digging through the first aid kit she blinked. "there is more to it than that" She said with a laugh as she unsnapped a section of the medic kit and revealed the section with other forms of supplies. Things for stitches and burns, even some hypodermics for basic pain killers with longer shelve lives. "My dad... made sure it was prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse... before he... well yeah..."

Mei stood up realizing that mat was talking about cooking, but she opened up her cabinets and her fridge and looked around. "How about I cook for you? It's my kitchen and I know everything better. Or better yet we can pack up all my food, with whatever I pack for the trip... and we can cook it over at your place and the mons could eat too? I think they are still in the van." Mei said as she straightened up for a moment. "I think that's the better course... just let me go pack some clothes and other supplies from my room, and we can get this packed in boxes and go?"

[Amandashow]

Sora considered the Tai's logic and hesitated before she replied. Her exhausted mind tried to recall some of the details Mei had shared but most were overshadowed by things in her memory. For example, she recalled the girl candidly speaking about her military background during their introduction but it was lost in a sea of Tai playing footsie with her under the table and later the whole ground singing themselves hoarse at the karaoke bar. There was just something about Mei that shifted her to the back of everything like a natural-born wallflower and her memory was no exception.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to ask," she allowed cautiously. "But...she might not have access anymore. Her father died a long time ago, didn't he? Isn't that what she said?" She tried to remember again but could only come up with the sundae she and Tai had split. She could vividly recall slicing her spoon sideways into the banana and feeding her then-boyfriend a heaping mouthful of fruit and ice cream but details about her friends past? It was becoming more than a little embarrassing. "Do you have her number? Maybe we can just text her and ask what she has and pick up what's left."

She changed the hand basket from one arm to the other and examined the contents piled high, taking stock. "Those are all good ideas, Tai but a little much for a convenience store to have on hand." She groaned in dismay, hating how slapdash everything was. What they needed was a plan, a well-organized and carefully thought out list of supplies. A full itinerary for the trip wouldn't hurt either. Despite her mounting concerns, Sora wasn't above making light with a joke at Yamato's expense.

"I think Yamato is going to have us covered on the pot that causes collapsing." All in good fun of course.

Cooking at his place? Yamato wondered if he even owned any kitchen appliances outside of the refrigerator and coffee maker. He was pretty sure he saw a couple of utensils in the sink to wash once but they had disappeared when the maid service came over to clean. Yoshi had organized all of that on his behalf. The cleaning crew, the food deliveries and the like; Even a prostitute or two all had been organized by his manager to greet him at the front door. "Let me take care of all that, Yamato-baby," Yoshi had said. "You just focus on YOU and that next platinum album and all that moolah." He even rubbed his fingers and thumbs together greedily as he said it. In fact, Yamato had grown so dependent on others to see to his daily affairs he was having slight anxiety about Yoshi's unceremonious termination. Now he would need to find a replacement manager for the band and himself.

Maybe Yoshi could do that for him?

"My place," he echoed, dubiously. "Right." The only cooking I do is in the bedroom. It was an old quip he remembered but couldn't recall where it had come from. Had he said that? Probably, it sort of sounded like something he would have said.

He started after her to the bedroom, dutifully avoiding her father's penetrating gaze from the hallway walls. "I'll give you a hand." Mei could hide behind a tidy living room but surely her bedroom was her Atlantis, adrift at sea and shielding the secret person inside!

[SweetSerenade]

Tai scratched the back of his head as he helped Sora haul everything over towards the counter. He realized that everything was mounting up slowly but surely, and he knew that his Fiancee was going to crack sometime soon. They were all going to crack, it was a lot of pressure. Perhaps they had dealt with it better as kids, because they had less to think about. But now, things were much different. "No actually, I don't have her number. But I can text T.K. and Kari and get it from them." He said as he fiddled with his phone and started to shoot out a text to the duo.

It didn't take long for them to respond, and he even shot off a text to Mei. Hey, sorry to be a pest. Still got access to the Military Base? It'd help out with our trip. He sent to her as he started to help Sora unload the basket on the counter. The poor store clerk was likely to have a fit, but Tai didn't care. He wanted to get home, have a nice shower with his soon to be wife - or go to bed... but not exactly sleep yet. He had wanted to peel those pants off of her since he had first seen her in them. He loved the way they hugged her ass and... Tai was getting distracted again.

"Well if you don't want me cooking there, you could always bring the Digimon in here?" Mei said as she tried to ignore him for a moment, tried to turn her attention to other things. She was so wrapped up with everything going on that she was still forgetting she was in a sports bra and her slacks. She had her socks of course, but still... she had forgotten all about her dress shirt at that point. "I got it, I don't need your help to go through my room. Don't worry about it..."

She said with a sweet smile as she opened the door and slipped her body through. She was pretty sure that her door closed, but it did have a latching problem. She lost herself in tightly rolling her clothes, enough for two weeks - all tightly rolled and lined up in a straight line on her bed. Funny how the room was a wreck, like her, and the walls covered with the posters of his band that she had collected since they first debuted. But what was even funnier was that all of her clothes seemed to come in two tones. White or black, some both at the same time. Nothing colored beyond that. She looked over her shoulder for a moment, almost nervously, as she slipped a giant box of batteries into the bottom of the rucksack, then she slipped a few toys in.

She was sure she could get some privacy at some point, even bathing on her own. She knew that there wasn't a chance of anything happening between her and Matt, he was just being... he was being him. She wasn't his type, and she knew it. Soon enough she was packing clothes on top of the items in her bag, and even slipping the special meal packages - military grade - into the bag. She realized her phone had buzzed and shot Tai a response, realizing he probably got her number for T.K. or Kari. Yes, I do. I have access till I'm 26, and especially since my father died in active duty. I can take us to the PX. I have quite a few supplies, but it's a smart idea to go there to get more. She texted to him as she grabbed the bag and hauled it over her shoulder.

She stopped by her bedside for a moment and picked up a picture frame. It was one from when she was very small, so very small. Back in the Heighton View Terrace days... It was a picture her mom had taken at the playground, where she was playing with all of the other kids from the complex. One that showed all of the original Digidestined - and a sweet dark haired pig tailed girl with a gap tooth smile. Mei, little Mei. She set the picture down and turned to walk from her room.

[Amandashow]

The clerk's eyes were blurry, blood-shot orbs fixed into a face of sallow skin. Listlessly, they drifted from the black and white comic panels to the basket, widening slightly. It was running over with so many things that as a soon as they sat it down the perilously stacked tower of rice ball collapsed. A worm of a tongue slithered out to wet his chapped lips and his mouth opened in a quiet yawn. "Will that be cash or credit?" His hands drifted over the items one at a time, the register beating rhythmically each time the scanner registered the barcode like a fading heartbeat.

"Cash," Sora replied absently, rose up on tip toe to see over Tai's shoulder. The display flashed with a new message from Mei, detailing out her base access and assurance that they could get on for better supplies and equipment suited for their trip. It was an odd feeling, having so much more time to prepare for their trip but almost helpless in their preparations. She and Tai were both thinking the same things, another testament to how in sync they were as a couple, so in love so...The transaction total danced across the display, hitting her like a punch to the gut (Or more accurately, a punch to the wallet). So very broke, she mused fishing bills out of her wallet. "This is what we get for buying supplies for a trip to..." she caught herself before she said something foolish in front of the cashier. "...Fuji-san at a 7/11."

"You guys tackling the mountain, huh?" he asked, bagging up their items into plastic sacks without asking if they preferred paper. "That's pretty far out."
"Yeah, it's really far out there alright," Sora agreed, thinking the cashier had no idea how right he was.

Fists loaded with shopping bags, they exited the store to a chime and the cashier returning to his magazine offering a half-hearted farewell on their journey. She half turned back to glance at him as they left, hovering over his manga, clueless, blissfully so. She simultaneously envied and despised him for it, jealous of the mundanity of his existence. How could anyone not know when they'd met someone literally fighting for their existence? All at once she wanted to throw the bags down and rush in, screaming and throwing the items back in his face. Shouldn't he have been glad to supply them on their journey? It would only benefit his sorry ass to do so...A sob welled up in her throat so suddenly that she had to pause. She tried to swallow it back down but it was like a watermelon lodged in her esophagus. She bowed her head with the effort but the tears stinging her eyes were making it difficult to concentrate. Her shoulders hunched up sharply, jumping up and doubling her forward and at last she could hold it in no longer and cried. "Oh, Tai," she whispered and dropped the bags to her feet. The cans rolled away noisily but she hardly noticed.

She threw her arms around his neck, burying her wet cheeks into his neck. "Tai, I'm so scared right now," she confessed miserably. "How do we know...how do we know...?" But she couldn't get the question out; she already knew the answer so it would've been redundant. They couldn't know what lay ahead of them, what horror awaited just through that invisible barrier between their world and the next. They could pack a basketful of food and supplies and Mei could clean out the army surplus store on base and it wouldn't matter. They were still walking in blind and now weary, beaten up and frightened, Sora was falling apart. Tai was the rock, the foundation and perhaps now more than ever before she needed that support.

"Take me home, Tai," she whispered, pressing her lips to his ear. Her crying had quiet down some. The feel of his warm embrace steadied her and she was able to control her voice. "Take me to our safe bedroom. Take me away from these horrible thoughts...take me."


"My place is fine," Yamato replied. Home field advantage and all, he thought. He doubted she had condoms in a convenient bedside table like he had in his bedroom. "It's getting late and I need to get started on my packing too." He explained this while trailing after her but paused at the threshold of her room. Mei had opened the door only a sliver of the way, just enough for her to slip through in some haste to be rid of him. Perhaps she understood his intentions to get a good look at the real Mei and was doing everything in her power to delay the revelation?

He started to turn away soured but was caught by the glimmer of light winking through. The door had closed but not well enough to latch and now stood ajar practically begging him to sneak a peek. Blinking, his first reaction was to reach for the knob and close it the rest of the way. After all, Mei had made it perfectly clear she desired privacy while packing and a noble, long-lost part of him wished to honor her wishes. But a slow, impish grin spread out on his angular features and the desire for a glimpse at the woman within was too tempting to resist.

Quietly, he crept back to the door and shutting one eye, peered through the crack into the young woman's room. The room was in a wreck inside, such a state that it felt like it belonged in a different apartment all together, maybe a whole other building compared to the rest of the house. It was the soul of a girl, the part that she wished to keep hidden away behind a façade of cleanliness and order. No one would suspect the chaos, it was too well guarded. Seeing it now, Yamato felt a pang of guilt. The room was too personal and even though he had been so determined before, he almost regretted stealing the glimpse.

Adorning the walls were posters of the Teen-age Wolves, arranged in such a way one could trace their entire career by talking a short stroll about the room like a leisurely gallery viewing. The earliest they were dressed in high school uniforms, all black with the sleeves rolled up and shirts undone, revealing a toned torso and zero tattoos. The next was a blown up image of their second album, the band arranged around a set of leather furniture. Yamato himself was lounging in the center sofa, arm thrown back over the rise of the cushion. His hair was cut short then, buzzed so severely the white of his scalp shown through. He wore a long, duster trench coat and black and white feather boa draped around his shoulders. The album title, 'Pocket Savior' was stenciled in the corner like a signature.

The images went on, more than a dozen of them from over the years, capping off with the one used to announce the start of their latest worldwide tour. The first and last were spaced almost directly across from one another and for the first time, it was made plan just how much Yamato had changed. The Yamato in the first poster was a boy, a child in every sense of the world and despite the torrent of sweat matting his hair to his cheeks, he was still smiling while he sang. Yamato didn't think he smiled anymore, only leering and showing teeth but never truly smiling like he remembered a human being should.
He was nearly overcome with the urge to rush in and tear the posters down, could picture himself doing it while a bewildered Mei looked on with her arms full of tightly wound bundles of clothes and...was that a dildo he had seen? And a whole case of batteries?

Torn from his daydreaming, he narrowed his eyes, sure of what he had seen yet not believing it. Was she really going to bring sex toys into the digital world? He was so overcome with shock that he nearly burst into laughter and spoiled the whole thing. He got himself under control...only to nearly loose it again when he pictured Izzy's digimon companion, Tentomon, wielding one of those at Skull Greymon while shrieking 'Electro-shocker!'

He cupped a hand to his mouth and retreated to the living room while fishing his phone free of his trousers. "Funny cat video," he would explain if she inquired what he was laughing about

[SweetSerenade]

Tai jolted from the response that Mei had sent him, frowning a little and then shivering as he realized he had been too focused on other things. He had been surprised by a text, a text of all things. He could feel Sora behind him, and turned his attention to the guy at the counter. He blinked a few times, almost owlishly as he realized he was being spoken to. He pursed his lips, frowning just a little and then shaking his head almost. He tapped his goggles and then looked over at Sora. "It'll be ok. I promise." he said with a bit of a grin on his face, she seemed to be cracking at the edges, at least that was what he was beginning to sense. They bought the stuff and left for the car.

They walked out to the car, and then he heard her call his name. He lowered his bags for a moment, glad he did as suddenly she threw herself at him and began crying. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head - smiling just a little as he remembered she was wearing that old hat. "it'll be ok, I promise." He whispered as he stroked her back and tried to sooth her as best as he could. The times ahead would be trying, and he was musing over them a lot himself. But he also knew that they could make it, that they would make it. That they had always survived, no matter how hard things got.

When Sora finally seemed to calm down, he pulled back enough to wipe at her face. "It'll be ok, I promise. You hear me, Sora? It'll be ok." he said with a smile as he began to clean up the items that had dropped, he opened his car and began loading everything into the vehicle. Stopping a moment to look back at her, smiling just barely as he tried to keep himself as the steady leader - just what she needed in that moment. "Let's go home. Go ahead and get in, I'll load the car up - and we will go home." He said as he started to put the groceries in, then he climbed into his side of the car and started her up. Once again, like the car was giving them one final amazing goodbye - it started up like a charm and started to run. "Alright, buckle up, we will go home and just rest... we can take a shower if you want - anything you want Sora, I want you to feel better."



Me finally finished packing all of her two toned clothing. Even packing a few more decent looking items, at least things that seem to reflect more of her inner self than others. The young woman swung into her bathroom, attached to her room, and started to load up essentials related to the restroom and it's purposes. Even remembering to include as many rolls of toilet paper as she could add. Packing everything in a way that it fit in space effectively, and could easily and quickly be repacked by her later. With everything finished she finally left her room, and turned to look at it one more time before closing the door on that part of herself.

In her hand was the picture from when she was a small girl, that tiny girl child with all of the other kids in the Apartment complex. All of the other kids from the Heighton View Terrace days. Looking back in time, using a single picture, they wouldnt' believe the bright smiling - pig tailed - cheerful and hyper girl had been her. if she told them she had known them a long time, that they had even played together, they would probably laugh. But she walked out holding the picture, having removed it from it's frame, and went to find Yamato.

She seemed to walk with a purpose, and had yet to change. Still wearing the sports bra and her slacks, and still rather calm in the way she seemed to approach things. "Yamato, let's pack up some boxes of food, and supplies - so I can cook for the Digimon at your place?" She said as she set the duffle bag down next to the medical kit. Then she began to attach the medical kit to her duffle beg. Hell there was even a sleeping roll tied down to the back of the bag as well. She could run with the thing on her back, if she needed to. She was no stranger to traveling with heavy duffle bags.

She went into her kitchen and pulled out a few small boxes and started packing up cooking supples, and a few things to cook with. Just in case he didn't have anything at his place. "If you wanna help me get all this downstairs, we can take off?" She commented as she stopped for a moment and pulled open the drawer in her kitchen. Inside was a solar panel charging unit, and she contemplated taking it. "Do you think we might need a charging source for our phones, or do they not work well in the Digital world?" She asked curiously.

[Amandashow]

"It'll be okay." Tai continued to promise her that over and over like a mantra. She wondered if he really believed it. She chanced a peek up into his face and through her teary eyes caught the familiar outline of his signature grin. All confidence and reassurance despite it all though the weight of the situation was weighing heavily on him as well and the grin wasn't quite as high as she remembered it being in the past. He too was having doubts and that surprisingly gave her comfort. She touched a hand to her breast to assure herself that the warmth spreading there was real and not triggered from exhaustion or desperation but no. It was her strength, that fire that linked them all together as the Digidestined and like a physical blaze, Tai's ignited her own. She nodded her head as her fiancé wiped at her tears, feeling like she could digivolve at any moment. Sora digivolve to...wifu! The thought made her chuckle and she wrapped her arms around Tai's neck, pulling him down for a light embrace.

"I'm sorry," she sniffled. "I'm alright now; I just got a little...overwhelmed." She took a long shaky breath and dropped to her hands and knees to collect the dropped things. The cans and packages rolled about the ground, bouncing into each other like windup toys. Once everything was repackaged into the bags, she followed Tai to the old beater van and climbed inside, thankful he offered to stow the groceries. She took the brief alone time to flick on the interior lights and examine her face in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were still a little red from the crying and her cheeks were puffy. Sora took a few sleeves of tissue from the middle console and dabbed at her eyes and nose before wadding up the Kleenex into a ball and tossing it away.

The van continued to amaze and started up on the first try. She whistled in admiration but said nothing more, not wanting to jinx it. Instead she patted the dash approvingly, for the first time displaying a miniscule of appreciation for the old beater. It wasn't the most unusual thing to happen today, she thought.
She considered the offer, thinking that a shower sounded absolutely heavenly right then but a bath...oh a warm bath with salts or candles, now that would be paradise. She reclined her head back and let her eyes close, relishing the idea of submerging herself in the pool and letting the day melt away around her like grim. Tai would have to join her of course, Sora thought, stretching the lap belt over her thighs. He deserved a little respite after all they had been through. The night he proposed to his girlfriend, nearly ruined it was a marvel that they were both still standing.

No, she corrected, pausing with the buckle poised to be fastened into the clamp. We survived because we have each other...

She let the seatbelt flop back into place without clicking it home. Instead she scooted over to the edge of her seat and wiggled in beneath Tai's arms outstretched to grip the steering wheel. Wordlessly, she unfastened the clasp of his pants and pulled the flaps apart, the zipper whispering seductively as it dove down. She didn't bother stealing a look around, knowing that even if they weren't alone so late in the evening, the van was concealed in the dark shadows of nearby buildings, giving them all the privacy they would need. Sora fished her husband's cock free from his boxers, finding it swollen with intrigue but not hard, not yet with the head still sheathed inside a protective shield of foreskin.

Eagerly, she took his hairless member into her mouth bathing it in her warmth of her tongue. She felt it begin to swell between her lips almost at once, stiffening to a hard point. She inhaled the musty dampness of his privates, familiar and lewd. She bobbed her head slowly in his lap, taking his length into her opened throat until he tickled the back of her throat, remembering to breathe through her nose. With her right hand she cupped the delicate orbs of his testicles, somewhat awkward in the cramped conditions but she managed. Her other hand groped up the tail of his shirt to caress his bare chest and belly, caressing his athletic build while she worked on his member.


Mei would find Yamato leaning a shoulder into the wall, studying the screen of his smartphone. In his haste to appear nonchalant in wake of catching Mei during such a private moment, he produced his cell and found a few dozen missed calls and voice messages with even more text messages and emails flooding his inboxes. He scrolled through the list with the corner of his thumb. He recognized his bandmates numbers but the fast majority were from media, news and gossip sources all wanting to know the same thing: What exactly had gone down at the concert?

The inbox had received so many messages that it had reached its limit of 999+, warning him direly that if he wanted to rest of his incoming invoices that he would need to delete some of them. He thumbed a few into the recycle bin only to have them immediately replaced by more and the same message alerting him of the emails storage capacity. After a few more tries with similar results, he gave up. The most recent message had been a formal notification from Yoshi Masahara's attorney, threatening Yamato with legal action for the unceremonious dismissal. This of course was juxtaposed against a flurry of calls and texts from Yoshi, begging forgiveness, offering apologies and feinting confusion before dissolving into thinly veiled threats. Then just threats.

"You don't want what I know getting out, Yamato-baby," one message went. "You don't want the press finding out that the Teenage Wolves are REALLY Teenage Wolves, do you?" Yoshi was alluding to a completely false rumor that Yamato had slept with a teenage girl in the states, causing something of a scandal and plenty of hush money. It was ludicrous, even Yamato at his worst had standards but if his manager began speaking out it might just be the end of his career.

He stowed the phone away, wanting it out of his hands quickly as if it had suddenly become red hot. He had been so distracted Yamato had barely heard what she said. He looked up to catch her watching him, patiently waiting for a reply. In her haste to pack, she failed to remember to put on a proper shirt he observed. Panicked, he tore his eyes away from her chest and focused on the box in her hands, piled with cooking supplies.

"Um, yea," he ventured after clearing his throat. "That sounds...great. We should definitely do...do that. Let me get that box." He hurried over and hefted the heavy contents out of her hands, the dishes clattering noisily with the shifting weight. It was a tad heavier than he anticipated but he caught himself before he could ask what was all in it. Something told him he should have known that.

"I'll just run this downstairs and be right back." 

[SweetSerenade]

Tai had been relaxing, waiting for Sora to put her seatbelt on so that they could get home. Instead he found himself mildly surprised as her seat-belt slid back into place without being clicked into the locking position. Her turned his gaze upon her, rather questioning - but was even further surprised as he realized she was leaning towards him. "Sora?" He asked his wife-to-be, a little shocked the moment her hands slid across his pants and started to undo them. Though he wasn't hard at that moment, he felt that twitch of a response rocket through his body the moment her hands started to stroke across him.

"Aww... fuck... Sora, you don't have to do this." he whispered as his hand stroked across her hair, but he stopped the moment she started to use her mouth to pleasure him. A hiss of delight left him as the surge of pleasure rushed through him. He had been on edge, heavily aroused, for most of the concert, and suddenly that came back full force. He gave a cry of delight, as she began to pleasure him in full - feeling her head bobbing and her mouth and throat working to bring him pleasure. "Alright, if you are set on doing this - wh-who am I to stop you." he said with a groan slipping from his lips. He adjusted the seat popping it back a little to give her more room, and to give him a better look.

He had been intending on driving home, but apparently she had the driving of another matter on her mind. He tangled his fingers in her hair and carefully started to guide her, even as he bit his lip from the feeling of her fingers fondling and playing with his balls. "Mmm suck a little harder." He guided gently as he rocked his hips up just a little, moaning from the feeling of her warm mouth wrapped around his cock. His breath coming in small and patterned bursts as he closed his eyes and remembered the way she had moved in the clothes Mimi had put her in.

His cock hardened, reaching it's full length and girth as he rocked himself into the cavern of her mouth. He hummed with absolute pleasure as he felt the ministrations of his lover start to bring him closer to that pleasant edge. "I'm not going to last long, you looked so amazing in that outfit today. But I promise, after the shower I'll return the favor."

Mei was lost into the process of packing things up, even stopping to pack up a couple bottles from her fathers cabinet. She set everything up as Yamato took the first box down. She moved on to making sure everything would be in order, than she hauled her bag on to her back and left the apartment. Turning off all the lights, locking her bedroom door, and the back porch, and then locking the front. As she had texted her neighbor she slipped her spare key into their mail slot and then headed down to the car with the extra two boxes held in her arms.

Everything was done, and she had a path for her to follow now. She went down to the van she and Yamato had taken, and started to load the items up. The digimon seemed to be passed out, which made her really happy. They could relax and then they would eat when they woke up. "What do you like to eat? I packed up ingredients for just about anything I could think I could make at your apartment. I figure the Digimon would like to eat as much as they possibly could, given how much energy they expended." Mei said as she closed the back and leaned against the van.

She was tapping a pack of smokes on her hand, looking up at the sky as she opened the pack and then lit up the smoke with her father's old service lighter. "It's going to be hard, you know? This isn't something I ever considered I would do... I don't... I don't really feel like one of you." She admitted as she let her gaze slide over to Yamato.

[Amandashow]

Sora hummed to herself, a quiet murmur in the dark mingled with the soft wet suckling for a lewd symphony. Of course she didn't have to do it, Sora had wanted to. Truthfully, she rather enjoyed going down on her husband to be, feeling him fidget and tremble about while she pleasured him, as if his cock were a lightning rod and the bolts of energy generated from her lips made him go wild with spasms. She relished the control the simple act allowed her, so much more than just fucking the man (though by now she was tempted to just crawl into his lap and straddle him in the seat). He was hers like this, unable to move or even think about anything else until she allowed him.

Sora let her eyes flutter closed, testing the weight of his member against her tongue, teasing the tip with a tickling lap before she bobbed her head down again, swallowing him to the hilt. She knew what Tai liked and even though this was far from their first blowjob, he always seemed to react like it was. She only used her hands to massage his swollen testicles, separating the gingerly between her fingers like ripe plums. Her mouth and head worked in tandem, never losing the rhythm and could feel his orgasm building. Like the tremors before a volcanic eruption, she felt them in her fingers and between her lips.

Sora waited until she was certain he was teetering on the edge and took his entire shaft into her haughty mouth, swallowing hard as if desperate to drain it all out in one quick motion.



Yamato emerged into the still night, hefting the box into the back hatch. The interior light clicked on, bathing the two dozing occupants in harsh faux-sunlight. Gabumon pawed lazily at his eyes and nose as if the light were bothersome fly before giving up and rolled away from the glare and turned his head into the cushion. A stifled yawn rose out of the backseat before subsiding just as quickly as it came. Like the feline counterpart of the human world, Nyamon stretched her four paws out, flexing claws before collapsing back into deep slumber next to his digimon companion. It was almost too cute for words and served to lift his spirits some.

Yamato's phone continued to vibrate incessantly throughout the short trip downstairs like a pocketful of impatient bees. He fished it out again to find Yoshi's shit-eating face grinning up at him from the display. The picture was from a sushi bar they'd visited in Sapporo. He had a piece of raw fish and rice snapped between wooden chopsticks, frozen in time about to take a bit. His little finger was raised like a proper British gentleman about to sip at his noon tea, the ring on that digit glinting in the light.

Yamato's thumb automatically went to the green ANSWER button like it had a thousand times before but changed course at the last moment and depressed DECLINE, forwarding his ex-manager to the overstuffed voicemail box. He closed the trunk, slamming it more forcefully than he intended and nearly bumped headlong into Mei as she joined him in the street. "What do I like to eat?" he echoed, struggling to tear himself away from brooding. "Um...can you make Daigaku Imo?" The swing of strong alcohol had put him in the mood for sweet potatoes though he had no idea why.

He put the phone into silent mode and stuffed it into the back of his jeans. Out of sight, out of mind wouldn't help him now though. Even if Yoshi couldn't reach him, he was still very much out somewhere in the city trying his hardest to get wayward Yamato to fall back into line. He doubted Yoshi would really attempt legal action just yet, you don't sue your biggest meal ticket after all. But a few nasty rumors and loose comments to the press, a little indication to a get a good scandal going, a way for him to say without saying, 'See, Yamato-baby? See what I can do to you? This is only the beginning if you continue to act so erratically. Now get back into step and dance for the worlds amusement, monkey-man.'

Yoshi Masahara had his hooks in deep, had been grinding them deeper since the day the Teenage Wolves agreed to bring him on as their manager and media liaison. In the past, during one of his more lucid moments, Yamato convinced himself that Yoshi's power was limited, that HE was really in control of his own life. Now, standing on the curve of some strange girls apartment, dying for a smoke and a drink and a fuck (not necessarily in that order, mind you) with a literal pocketful of threats about the future of his music career and about to charge headlong into the digital world...he wondered how deep those hooks went before they bit through flesh and ground into bone, his very foundation.

Was he even Yamato anymore, or just some creature crafted in Yoshi Masahara's image? Frankenstein and his monstrous creation paraded out onto the world stage...The phone vibrated against his buttocks and he quickly pulled it free and spiked it savagely against the pavement. It shattered into a hundred plastic pieces upon impact but just before it touched down onto the street, he caught of flash of his ex-managers face on the screen. Yoshi was still seated in the same sushi shop, chopsticks and morsel ready to be eaten, ring finger sticking out...only he was certain now that the man was laughing at him.   

Yamato thumbed his nose down at the bits and laced his fingers atop his messy crown, taking a deep, shaky breath. Her words rung in his ear, making them itch until he reached up and gave his earlobes a tug. "I know the feeling," he replied, glancing over at her suddenly. "I haven't felt like one of the Digi-Destined in...in a very long time. Like it all happened to someone else, a whole different guy that I just read about. You're right though, it's going to be hard...we've been given a big responsibility with no way to really prepare for what's coming." I don't know if that same power that saved us before will return. This time, we might be on our own, this time...I think I drank and fucked the crest of friendship away. That's what he wanted to say. Instead, he tried to reassure Mei. "...but we have to try. The world is depending on us."

[SweetSerenade]

Tai was drawn tight, even as she teased and play with him. Even as the love of his life fondled and tugged, twisted and pleased. Her tongue playing, her mouth sucking. She was good at his, and he found himself hissing again as his hips started to buck a bit faster, his fingers tangling just a little tighter in her hair as he rocked himself into the pleasure of her mouth. That feeling was getting closer, and he cried out when she pulled away from him, only licking the tip of him. But that cry was cut off quickly the moment she wrapped her lips around him again and pushed all the way down. He could feel that suck, all the way into his toes. He could feel the volcanic pleasure as it began to ripple through him like a tidal wave.

She was working her throat as if trying to milk him, her fingers playing and teasing, and it worked. He gave a cry of surprise as his hip and hand pushed at the same time and he cried out. She intended to get every drop at the same time, and he found himself cumming hard inside of her mouth. The hormones of the day releasing just a little as he panted, his eyes opening as he stroked his hand across her hair. His body quivering as he gave a small sound of pleasure. He was still semi-hard, hadn't gone completely soft yet, but the feeling of her mouth around him was heaven.

"I'm definitely returning the favor after - or during - the shower." He stated as he gave her that usual smile of his, trying to show her the confidence and courage she needed from her partner.

Mei continued to suck on the cigarette as she watched him launch his phone into the ground. That fire from before burning in her gut, as her eyes seemed to sharpen with anger. "He better not show up again, or I'll treat him like I do cockroaches." She muttered as she sucked down a deep breath of smoke and slowly exhaled. Smoking again, after not doing it so often, was a sort of release she hadn't expected. Nowhere near as good as the orgasm she got from her vibrator, but a pleasure all of it's own.

Shit, Mei, don't think about that kind of stuff. You'll get yourself into all sorts of trouble. She reminded herself as she tried to push down the hormones that had built up because of the concert and the near death experience she had. "Well, at least you have been there before. I'm going in completely blind." Mei admitted as she held the pack out to him offering him a smoke, as he had offered her several before. "I can make just about anything. YOu're in luck, that I like sweet potatoes so much." Mei said as she cleared her throat and then looked off into the distance.

"I suppose we should get driving?" She asked him as she looked over at him, seeming to settle back into that quiet and sweet girl they had all observed on occasion. "I'm goign to have to cook, and we both still need sleep." She murmured as she opened the door and rolled down the window, slipping into her seat and buckling the seat belt.

[Amandashow]

His anguished cries of sweet torture had barely left his lips when Sora felt Tai explode in her mouth, bathing her tongue in a torrent of his seed. His climax felt thicker than normal, fuller in her throat as she swallowed it all down. When she loosed him from her lips, his member was still engorged and red from the stimulation and would likely be ready again with the slightest provocation. A tear-drop of his arousal topped the head of his penis like the dot of an eye but with one last flick of her tongue, it too vanished.

"You'd better," she teased, righting herself in the seat and fastening the buckle over her lap. "If you're not too worn out for another round or three." She was teasing again. Tai was still at an age where a stiff breeze could make him rock hard, even after having just enjoyed an orgasm. She was tempted to put that notion to the Pepsi challenge and tug her pants off and climb into his lap but Sora wanted a shower first.

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand self-consciously, waiting for Tai to get himself back into sorts and put the car into gear. She stole a glance over at the convenience store, suddenly fearful that she'd find the clerk inside pressing his greasy face up against the front glass, watching them. He would be wearing a lewd grin and when their eyes met, he'd toss her a thumbs-up of approval. But no, she was able to breathe a sigh of relief and found the clerk still pouring over his stack of manga, looking to be on the verge of slumping forward into a deep sleep.

The van had been waiting ever so patient for them, idling in the parking lot while great grey clouds belched out of the tailpipe, seeming to say, 'Whenever you two kids are ready...'

"A bath," Sora announced her inner-monologue from earlier. "I want a nice, hot bath with the whirlpool jets turned on. And some scented candles around. Those apple ones that I like and turn the lights down low." She was losing herself in the fantasy of it all and smiled over at Tai, wryly. "You can skip the rose pedals though."


Yamato toed the fragments of his phone with the tip of his boot idly, feeling the sudden surge of anger ebb away, leaving the hollow of his chest quite barren once again. Well that wasn't entirely accurate; since that part of his soul was usually occupied by his laundry list of vices and now would be no exception but it beat anger...he thought so anyway. He looked up to find that same anger being shared in Mei, as if those blazing eyes of hers were mirrors into his inner being. "I don't think we'll have to worry about that. We'll be gone by tomorrow morning."

His eyes traced the grey halo of cigarette smoke around Mei's head and inhaled the aroma of burning tobacco. It aroused his own hunger and he decided that he could use a cigarette and reached for his pack in his shirt pocket but stopped when Mei offered hers forward. They weren't his brand but he didn't refuse and plucked one of the white sticks free from the carton. He didn't bother asking for a light and instead fished his free from his shirt and cupped a hand over the tip out of habit. He chased the stubby end with the flame for a moment since it bobbed about while he spoke, "The Digital World is...it's sort of like being Alice in the Looking Glass. Nothing makes too much sense yet...the place has its own set of rules." The cherry blazed to life and he inhaled the sweet taste into his lungs. It was richer than his brand but not altogether unpleasant. He wondered if her father smoked this brand. After a few drags Yamato began to feel like himself again, the nicotine helping to calm his rattled nerves. Two cravings down, he thought flicking the charred filter away and mashing it out with his heel. He eyed Mei's bare shoulders and chest, thinking that there was still one more to go...I hope it's not the only thing I'm lucky for tonight, he thought.

"Yeah, lucky," he agreed with a nod for once not pessimistic about the sentiment. "I can't wait to try it." He imagined waking up some morning, after another drunken rampage of bar hopping and finding her standing in his kitchen, naked save for an apron. In his mind's eye, he would enter the room still groggy from sleep and too much alcohol and she would turn around slowly, smiling. "Breakfast is ready." He could hear it so clearly it was like the real Mei next to him had said it. She would undo the bow at her throat and the apron would fall away...

Her question brought him back to reality and the Mei of his fantasies dissolved away to find the real thing materialize in her place. The sweet, shy and quiet Mei with her cigarette held aloft and blazing in the evening air. Her lips would taste just like those cigarettes, he thought and touched a hand to his mouth instinctively.

"Yeah," he said at last, feeling things low in his abdomen responding to his overactive imagination and the sudden realization of what it would be like to kiss this woman. "Yeah, we should get a move on before it gets any later." He slid in behind the wheel and turned the key, the engine rumbling to life at once. The sudden shift and noise did little to stir the Mon from their slumber. Gabumon snorted, shifted on the spot then lay still. He spied the duo through the rearview mirror and chuckled as he put the car into gear. "Must be nice to sleep that soundly," he thought aloud.