You're telling me. I haven't had to watch my back like this since—
[ —this!
By the time you're six, it only takes you two sips to realize that your drink is poisoned. It has to be your drink, because the food is served in platters, everyone at the dining table—your father, his wives and advisors, and all their children—all eating from the same dishes. But drinks are served individually, wine and brandy for the adults, juice and water for the children. You'd requested a beverage made from black currants, realizing too late the sharp bitterness of the fruit could hide any other flavour.
And suddenly, it feels as though each and every eye is on you. Waiting for you to react, to spit out the mouthful sitting on your tongue or swallow and grimace against the fever burning up your spine. You imagine them laughing as you struggle to keep hold of your cup.
Perhaps they think you're really a fool, and that you'll tell your mother your suspicions. As though the bruises from the last time you did aren't still fresh on your back.
You let the poison sit in your mouth, taking a breath before swallowing. And then you eat a piece of bread, some meat, even the vegetables. You eat and eat and eat until someone makes a comment about it, and you have to groan about being full, a discomfort in your belly from eating too quickly.
And then you shuffle off to your room, throw it all up, help yourself to some water, and catalog the taste and effects to the best of your memory in your journal, next to all the others.
This one, like all the others, lingers even after it fades. That acrid taste in his mouth.
[bro. bro? there's a lot going on here and taichi's main thought at first is "holy shit i might die", but then it continues. it's a test of will and potentially sheer stubbornness, and if he's honest it's a little impressive.
it's also a little gross, so he cringes just slightly and even flicks his tongue out once or twice as if trying to rid his mouth of a taste that doesn't even exist. as the memory fades, he finds himself staring at claude with narrowed eyes, trying to decide what to say.]
...why...?
[why would someone poison a child? why would claude do this to himself? why to a lot of things, really.]
[ Claude is also making a face. It's been a long time since he'd been in a position like that, and the reminder stings, leaving a taste as bitter in his mouth as the poison in his cup.
He smooths past it at least, seeing the look on Taichi's face and hoping to ease away some of his concerns. ]
It was a long time ago. The perils of royalty, I'm afraid.
[long time ago or not, it's still unpleasant to think that people would try to kill claude just for being royalty. ...then again, a lot of digimon have tried to kill him and the others for being chosen so never mind, it makes some sense.
not that he wants it to.]
Don't tell me that kind of thing still happens to you. [he seems to ease up at least a little, but. concern still?]
[ Sometimes people want to kill you for reasons outside your control, Taichi. Claude would be very sad to know that he understands. ]
No, I learned the value of hiding who I am. [ He rubs his chin, obviously trying to keep the atmosphere light. ] Sounds like a fairytale, doesn't it? A secret prince escaping the castle, falling in love with a commoner...
Yeah...I think I get why. [these things happen! they should not, but they do!]
Is that a thing that actually happened, Claude? [press x to doubt.] I'd believe the escaping the castle thing, but you're right. It does kinda sound like a fairytale.
[and speaking of fairytale, he doesn't get to judge claude for much longer before claude actually gets to see something else.]
That's a digimon. [and there's a somewhat softer smile after that.] And that's Hikari, yeah. She's fourteen now, but not much has really changed between us.
She's way smarter than me. Always has been. [baby sister is perfect, even if...well. oh well.]
But yeah. Koromon came to our world when we were little, but the first time we went to the digital world was six years ago. Jou was twelve and the oldest. Me, Yamato and Sora were eleven. Koushiro and Mimi-chan were ten. And Takeru and Hikari were eight.
[he seems to take his time thinking on that. was the digital world better? they never really had shelter or food, they'd fought so many digimon, and they'd lost so many friends. they fought each other sometimes, too, and they never seemed to find answers until it was almost too late.
that was the same even now back home, right up until they came here.
but...]
...in a way? Yeah. It was. I wouldn't change anything about how that first adventure went.
[but he does reach into his pocket then, pulling something out before handing it to claude. it's a photo? hm.]
It wasn't our last adventure either, but it just meant we knew a little more than we did before.
Yeah. That's from the end of our first time there. [tapping on agumon's face.] They didn't look like this at first, but when we got there they found us. They said they'd been waiting for us for a long time because we were partners. They just knew.
[sometimes a bouncing pink head tells you they've been waiting their whole life for you and you just kinda go "this may as well happen."]
Yeah. [...oh! he's also reaching into his pocket again. claude's just getting all sorts of lore today whether he wants it or not, but he's pulling out a small silver device to show him.]
They needed us to get stronger. And we needed them to survive. As long as we're together we can help them evolve. [so yeah. it's a bond thing which is close enough to a soulmate, he thinks.]
It feels a little callous to say it's been worth it when people have died.
But I won't deny there have been some good moments. It's kind of heartening to see how deeply people care about each other here, when we've only known each other a handful of weeks.
Of course it's callous. But at the same time I don't know if I could totally disagree either. None of this should have happened, but at the same time it's kind of amazing to see what people will do when they're up against something they can't see.
You've found other people you care about, haven't you?
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[ —this!
And suddenly, it feels as though each and every eye is on you. Waiting for you to react, to spit out the mouthful sitting on your tongue or swallow and grimace against the fever burning up your spine. You imagine them laughing as you struggle to keep hold of your cup.
Perhaps they think you're really a fool, and that you'll tell your mother your suspicions. As though the bruises from the last time you did aren't still fresh on your back.
You let the poison sit in your mouth, taking a breath before swallowing. And then you eat a piece of bread, some meat, even the vegetables. You eat and eat and eat until someone makes a comment about it, and you have to groan about being full, a discomfort in your belly from eating too quickly.
And then you shuffle off to your room, throw it all up, help yourself to some water, and catalog the taste and effects to the best of your memory in your journal, next to all the others.
This one, like all the others, lingers even after it fades. That acrid taste in his mouth.
Man, this sucks. ]
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it's also a little gross, so he cringes just slightly and even flicks his tongue out once or twice as if trying to rid his mouth of a taste that doesn't even exist. as the memory fades, he finds himself staring at claude with narrowed eyes, trying to decide what to say.]
...why...?
[why would someone poison a child? why would claude do this to himself? why to a lot of things, really.]
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He smooths past it at least, seeing the look on Taichi's face and hoping to ease away some of his concerns. ]
It was a long time ago. The perils of royalty, I'm afraid.
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not that he wants it to.]
Don't tell me that kind of thing still happens to you. [he seems to ease up at least a little, but. concern still?]
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No, I learned the value of hiding who I am. [ He rubs his chin, obviously trying to keep the atmosphere light. ] Sounds like a fairytale, doesn't it? A secret prince escaping the castle, falling in love with a commoner...
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Is that a thing that actually happened, Claude? [press x to doubt.] I'd believe the escaping the castle thing, but you're right. It does kinda sound like a fairytale.
[and speaking of fairytale, he doesn't get to judge claude for much longer before claude actually gets to see something else.]
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... What was that little thing?
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...Botamon. It's Agumon's earliest form before he evolves.
[none of these are words that make sense, probably.]
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... Right. Sorry. What?
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Uh, right. Um...did I ever mention about going to a different world before? Besides this one. That's the world Agumon's from. He's my partner.
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[ ... ]
Was that your sister too? She's cute.
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[ At that age... ]
You went to another world that young?
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But yeah. Koromon came to our world when we were little, but the first time we went to the digital world was six years ago. Jou was twelve and the oldest. Me, Yamato and Sora were eleven. Koushiro and Mimi-chan were ten. And Takeru and Hikari were eight.
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Was it a better adventure than this one?
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that was the same even now back home, right up until they came here.
but...]
...in a way? Yeah. It was. I wouldn't change anything about how that first adventure went.
[but he does reach into his pocket then, pulling something out before handing it to claude. it's a photo? hm.]
It wasn't our last adventure either, but it just meant we knew a little more than we did before.
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That's a colourful crew. These are your friends and your... Digimon partners? How did you know who your partner was, by the way?
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[sometimes a bouncing pink head tells you they've been waiting their whole life for you and you just kinda go "this may as well happen."]
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They needed us to get stronger. And we needed them to survive. As long as we're together we can help them evolve. [so yeah. it's a bond thing which is close enough to a soulmate, he thinks.]
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[ This word probably doesn't exist in ye olde, but whatever. ]
I guess the relationship you made, made the hardships worth it. [ ... ] I wonder how many of us would say the same thing about this place.
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What do you think, Claude? Has anything been worth being in this place?
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But I won't deny there have been some good moments. It's kind of heartening to see how deeply people care about each other here, when we've only known each other a handful of weeks.
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You've found other people you care about, haven't you?
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It's hard not to when you witness people breaking down from grief, wouldn't you say?
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