Digimon: Dimension Distorted [IC/PG-16/Accepting]

[Saikazo 241]

 

 

---

 

The day was like any other, with adults going to work and kids going to school. All around the world, people were living their daily lives, and while troubles plagued the world, it was relatively peaceful. However, that all changed that fateful day.

A portal had opened in the sky, one that everyone could see just by looking up into the sky, no matter where they were in the world. People and objects got sucked in, and monsters were ejected from it. One that day, the world changed. Giant monsters now roamed the land, and entire areas have been transformed, from the structures, to the geological features, and even their very climates had changed.

Not only that, but people had changed to. Some things were simple, like changing hair and eye colors, or a change in skin tone. Others were more drastic, with people losing limbs, or gaining new ones. The world was now in case, and everyone was just doing their best to survive in this brave new world...

 

---

 

Conner sighed as his eyes opened, the ceiling of his school's gym a sight he was now used to, but not one that was welcomed. It didn't even look like a normal gym anymore, it look like some ancient temple out of a movie, complete with stone walls and vines growing all over them. He sat up, looking over the gym. After the world had changed, over 3/4ths of the school had vanished. The remaining teachers had did their best to round everyone up inside the school and keep them safe.

They were now trapped in the school. The usual exit was now gone, with nothing but a complicated network of stone and vines, with barely any space between them. If they tried to look past it, they couldn't see the outside... only the bodies of people that tried to pass through and failed. The auditorium was blocked off in a similar fashion, so no one knew what was in there, if it was even still there, that is.

Passage to the second and third floors were forbidden. Other teachers attempted to go up there to find other people, but came back either very injured or not at all. So everyone was stuck on the first floor, with no working electronics. Computers, TV, cell phones? All not working. The metal shop teacher, Mr. Henderson, believed the thick walls of the transformed school was interfering with things, but no one knew for sure. Food was served in the cafeteria, like one would suspect, but they were allowed only two meals a day, to save on food. No one was really sure what would happen to them when the food ran out...

The library... was strangely nearly untouched. Yes, it had the same stone make over the rest of the school had, but the books were untouched. The most unusual thing was the librarian. Her hair was now on fire, and her eyes had turned green, but her personality seemed to be the same... somewhat. She was always a quiet woman that never really socialized, but it seemed now she wouldn't speak to anyone... or react to anything, really, unless food was put in front of her, or if someone tried to cause a disruption in the library. No one knew what to make of it. 

The gym was designated as the sleeping area, and everyone had sleeping bags to sleep in. Looking around, it seemed most people were still asleep, so Conner walked quietly and slowly, staying against the wall to make sure he didn't run into someone accidentally. He finally got to the door and went to reach out for it... until he remembered... his arm was missing. At first, he just sort of stared at his stump. It was so strange... it was like he could still feel it there, even though it wasn't there. People told him it was 'phantom pains' or something. After a minute, he snapped out of his daze and headed out.

The cafeteria was right next door to the gym, which meant he didn't have to walk far at all. There was some food already on some tables, and he could see one of the teachers, Mr. Henderson, working on dividing portions.

"Good morning...," Conner muttered, taking a seat.

"Good morning to you to, Conner!" Mr. Henderson said with a smile. Out of every teacher, he seemed the least affected mentally by the new changes, and seemed to do his best to be happy in front of the students. Whether he was that optimistic or just putting up an act so the students wouldn't panic was anyone's guess. "Food's good to eat, just pick a plate and--- hey!" Conner looked up as Mr. Henderson suddenly yelled, throwing a pot lid at a small imp-like creature. "That's not for you! Bugger off, you imp!"

The monster just stuck its tongue out and ran off. With a sigh, Mr. Henderson went back to preparing the food, ready for the rest of the students to come get their food.

 

---

 

OOC

Spoiler

So, here we are. The start of our Digimon adventure! Feel free to have your character react to the world changes, and end up at the cafeteria by the end of the post. If you need something, just DM and I'll get to you ASAP.

 

Edited April 4, 2019 by Saikazo May Cry

[Blake 312]

Mackenzie gave off a small yawn as she woke up, stretching gently. And, as had greeted her every day since the event, she saw rows and rows of books on either side. Not that she really minded seeing them first thing. The girl gently pushed herself up off of the floor, neatly folding her blanket up and setting it on a nearby desk. With a quick adjustment of her clothes, she headed over to the main desk, giving the fiery-haired librarian a quick wave. Same as every day, the woman nodded back silently, understanding what Mackenzie meant.

As the red-haired girl walked into the hallway, she gently played with her hair. If anything had thrown her off about the event, it was probably that... But even so, much like waking up to books, she didn't mind it. Approaching the cafeteria, one of those new creatures bolted past her, still blowing raspberry. With a small shrug, Mackenzie moved inside, and she was pleasantly surprised to see Mr. Henderson was chatting up Conner. She quickly moved over to the tables, scooping up two plates of food, and heading back out as swiftly as she had entered, though she let the doors close a little harder than she had intended. Oh well.

With food in hand, she headed back to her place in the library, only taking a moment to set the second plate of food on the main desk for the librarian. Setting her own plate down on the desk with the blanket, she headed over to the many shelves, scanning the titles. What had she not yet read? What would be the most useful to read? Did that matter in a world that seemed to supply her with infinite time?

Pushing those thoughts aside, she eventually settled on a novel, taking it back to her seat and softly thumbing through it as she ate her breakfast. Once she was a good way into the book, a small smile and quiet laugh escaped her, though no one was around to hear it.

"Reading fantasy in a setting like this... That's a bit much, isn't it?"

With her meal finished, and her book half-completed, she cleaned her area and began the return trip, with the librarian's plate in tow. Once she walked in, she neatly placed the plates down, disposed of the trash, and prepared to head back to the library.

[Chaos Sonic 442]

BGM

Another day in this new merged world...and Chris found himself face to face in the bathroom mirror with himself. With a yawn, he took a few splashes of cold water to his face, waking him up. Shaking his head a bit, he fixed his hair and then tossed his glasses back on. Well it's another day...time to try and make the best of it. Chris thought, smiling before jogging out of the bathroom and started jogging around the hallways. It was time for his daily routine.

Unfortunately, what he wanted to do was do a few swings with his baseball bat in a batting cage...however, he couldn't really do that. So Chris would have to deal with a bit of a morning jog around the gym. Luckily, with "The Great Merger" happening, it made the gym a bit more challenging to go in there. It reminded him of a few of the obstacles you'd see in America Ninja Warrior or the like. Still, he'd like to jog around the gym...but they made that the designated sleeping areas. He honestly thought the classrooms would've been a better idea for most of the students, buuuuuut he wasn't in a position to actually make decisions for the teachers.

Hmm, wonder how things are looking on the outside at this point... Chris thought, stopping his jog after his fifth lap around the hallways. He exhaled slightly, cracking his neck slightly. Though at this point...heading outside would be a bad idea...so maybe scratch that off the list until we're given the A-OK to leave.

Cutting through his thoughts, Chris heard his stomach growling...which made him think of a few of the creatures outside the school. "Yeah...it's about time for food, isn't it?" he chuckled to himself, before beginning his stride back up and made his way to the cafeteria.

"That's not for you! Bugger off, you imp!"

Chris arrived to the cafeteria about that time that Mr. Henderson, the metal shop teacher, shouting at one of those many creatures...today's little thief: a small imp creature. He chuckled slightly, and made his way towards the teacher, waving. "Morning Mr. Henderson. Seems like the little thieves around here are getting weirder and weirder looking, huh?" he asked, sitting at one of the tables, already working on eating.

[Mr. Hyde 204]

He couldn't sleep again...the large bags under his eyes were a testament to that.  He sat against one of the many rocky walls, chipping away at his fingernails.  He always did this when he didn't know what else to do.  Everyone around him was taking this so well, being transported into another reality, but he couldn't sit idly by.  Upon inspecting every possible route of escape, he had determined that it was impossible.  Travelling to different levels of the 'school' was now dangerous, and the auditorium was gated.  This was all too crazy.  Not to mention those...things...he saw in the corner of his eye.  Those little creatures that roamed freely in this world.  

"DAMNIT!"  He said, flinging a fist against the wall.  He gripped a hold of his head, and sunk deeper into himself.  "What the hell...I know I should've just stayed home that day..."  No electronics, no outside, no family.  Just one week and he was about to crack.  A slight grumbling from his stomach stopped his whining.  He used the stony wall as a prop to push himself to his feet, placing a hand over half of his face.  "Great."  He said, rolling his eyes.  "I have to go mix with the normies."  He slumped his posture, as he made his way towards the Cafeteria, his eyes frantically moving from corner to corner, scanning for any ambushes.  He passed a girl on the way, not even giving her a passing glance.  She held books and food in her hand...maybe he'd visit the library later.  When he arrived, Chris and Conner were both there.

"Tch.." He spat to the side.  It couldn't get more normie than those two.  He picked himself a plate of food off the table where Mr. Henderson was divvying up portions, and decided to head out once again.  He preferred to eat alone, whether it be in another dimension or at home.  Instead of heading for his usual corner, this time, he made a pit stop at the library.  He recoiled a bit at the sight of the librarian, whose hair was completely ablaze.  However, she didn't seem all too phased by it, so Todd decided to pay it no mind.  Instead, he scoured the library looking for a new read.  After all, he was starting to get incredibly bored.  

[yui 574]

Kokoro often prided herself on being a morning person. In a world that often tried to get things started early in the morning, she was happy to be the type that could get out of bed fully prepared to tackle the day head-on. Lately though, that was seeming less and less the case. Not because she was no longer a morning person or anything, but rather because getting any sleep lately had been a challenge and a half for Kokoro. It had gotten to the point that she'd checked around the now-vacant classrooms she was allowed to access for sleeping pills yesterday, and while she did find some, she still had quite a bit of lost sleep to make up for.

But Kokoro wasn't about to let herself sleep in over something like that. Today was the start of a new day, It was time to face the next hurdle life threw at her, or something. And the first hurdle of the day was... food. Eating was probably a good idea. Students were only getting two meals a day to conserve food, so missing out on mealtime was a no-go for a healthy young lady like herself. And so, as much as she would have preferred to roll over and go back to sleep instead, Kokoro got up from her sleeping bag and followed some others into the cafeteria.

Having had a week to get to know everyone had at least gotten her familiar with the others. Most of all Mr. Henderson; she actively enjoyed metal shop class before the event had happened, because it was clear he was passionate about what he was teaching. She'd felt the same way about world history, though with her history teacher having vanished that day, that left Henderson as her favorite teacher. Even if there were far more pressing issues, seeing him every morning made her feel a small twinge of regret that she'd never quite wrapped up the assignment he handed out that day.

The teacher had thrown a pot lid at some imp creature, which promptly scurried off. As much as she wanted to chase it down and get back the food it had stolen, she'd probably be reprimanded for reckless behavior if she did. While she hadn't seen the dangers beyond this safe area for herself, she knew they were out there, and presumably much larger than that little imp.

Instead, she grabbed some food and took a seat. Luckily, she'd never been much of a picky eater.

"We should figure out something we can do about them," Kokoro suggested, in response to Chris's mention of the weird little thieves running around. "Do you think you can outrun those little guys, by any chance?"

[ZetaRESP 5]

Touch was up early... well, that's what he thought. He looked at the vines and the stones. He had tried cutting the vines, which would make the stones less wedged, but it was not a good idea to do bare handed and the multiple cuts he's getting under his gloves are a proof of it. He tried finding something to cut it, but those creatures kept stealing them... though he's kind of surprised to find smaller ones doing so. He also tried to go upstairs, but he had been reprimanded for that after the attacks the other got upstairs... and the first creature he found actually tried to choke him, the brands now hidden by the high collar of his shirt. Something was missing... "I'm gonna get this puzzle solved somehow. I'm not gonna remain stuck at the first level!" He chuckled to himself: everything was a game for him, all his life... and now it seemed even more of a game. He stopped after feeling her stomach rumble. He went to the cafeteria to get his ration of food, pondering all the things he had tried so far. "Kon'nichiwa, min'na." He was there just in time to see Mr. Henderson deal with the imp like creature. He took his food and went to wards the table, ready to sit next to Chris, as they all talked about those creatures... the creatures... the creatures! He quickly hit himself in the head. "Baka! I forgot the chance encounters..." He took his food ration with him and walked off... but not to get a specific place where to eat. He actually went to a corner, left the food in there and waited. He had the feeling he had to do this.

Edited April 4, 2019 by ZetaRESP

[The Warden 33]

Theodore Oswald Dreifus Shaw was already up, and had been up before most anyone else. That's the thing, the early bird catches the worm, and this early bird was seeing fit to get all the worms in one of the vacant classrooms. With the loss of the Theater Room, he was wont to work with an empty space to continue practicing his art. "Oh dearest spring, how might I propose to thee?" he spoke with searing confidence and bombast. "I see your gentle blooms, your rolling greens, and your thawing rivers. Oh my gentle dear, how could I begin to know your beauty?"

Theodore Oswald Dreifus Shaw strut the rows of desks, his footwork impeccable and precise, as if he were dancing a minuet with his own words. "I know your name, you I do not know you. I... I...."

Clearing his throat, the thespian went over his notes again. He was always forgetting this part, which vexed him so. It vexed him like the claws of hunger tearing at his soul. It would seem he had gone on so long he was missing breakfast, but what was time in this place? Ah, but to think all they who wait for death are beyond the door. They who live like shells in the wake of the "calamity". Well, that won't do, so why not lift their spirits?

I Believe in You

"I believe the morning sun, is always gonna shine again annnnddd I believe a pot of gold, waits at every rainbow's end, ohhhh" he sang the second he opened the door. "I believe in roses kissed with dew, why shouldn't I believe the same in you?" he sang to a student staring at him in the hallway.

"I believe in make-believe. Fairy tales and lucky charms annnnddd I believe in promises, spoken as you cross your heart, ohhhh. I believe in skies forever blue, why shouldn't I believe the same in yooouuu?" he went on, taking another student by the hand and very forcefully spun them around. "You may say I'm a fool" *to many, many nods* "feeling the way that I do. You can call me pollyanna say I'm crazy as a loon; I believe in silver linings and that's why I believe in you?"

The level of embarrassment Theodore Oswald Dreifus Shaw was radiating so hard people felt it by association as he danced to the musical interlude in his head down the hall, bursting out into the cafeteria. "I believe there'll come a day, maybe it'll be tomorroooowwww. When the bluebird flies away, all we have to do is folllooooooowww. I believe the dream can still come true, why shouldn't I believe the same in yoooouuuu?" he crooned to his audience. "You may say I'm a fool" *With plenty more nods* "feeling the way that I dooo. I believe in friends and laughter and the wonders love can do! I believe in songs and magic and that's why I believe yooooouuuuuu. You may say I'm a fool, feeling this way about yooooouuuuu. There's not much I can doooooo, I'm gonna be this way my life throooouuuuggghhhhh! Cause I still believe in miracles I swear I've seen a few, and the time will surely come when you can see my point of view. I believe in second chances and that's why I believe in yoooooouuuuuu" he concluded, spinning about and finished humming is song while landing his arms firmly on Conner's shoulders.

"Good morning Conner my one-armed chum. How fairs this morning?" he inquired with radiant enthusiasm.

 

[reparoni 161]

Dominic woke up later than most, quietly getting up from his make shift bed. Sometimes he wished he would wake up again back on his bed, but every time he was met by this hellish landscape. It hadn't been very long since the great merge happened, and he hated every second of it. It wouldn't even be that bad, if it weren't for the people he was stuck with. He let out an annoyed sigh as he got up from the pile of garbage he called a bed, stretching out his arms before making his way out of the door. No amount of wishing would get him out of this and, as much as he hated to admit it, he needed these other buffoons if he wanted to survive. Begrudgingly, he got off the garbage pile that he called a bed, and made his way towards the cafeteria.

When he got there, he saw a few of these idiots already grouped together. They were talking about something stealing the food, probably the little goblins that roamed outside. They were an annoyance, as they kept taking food and other knickknacks. Glancing at everyone that was in the room with a tinge of annoyance, grabbing one of the rations off of the table. "Thanks." He said coldly, taking the seat near the small group. He took another glance at the people around him, pulling down his scarf to take a bite.

[Chaos Sonic 442]

Chris watched as a few students walked in and out...the edgy teen they knew as Todd, the strange gamer known as Touch, the quiet and almost edgy guy Dominic...annnnnd then there was Theodore. He was...in a nice way, dramatic in the good way? To each their own, but to Chris, he was a bit too dramatic sometimes. But he seemed to be talking to Connor, the resident one armed man, meanwhile...he was being talked to by another student, Kokoro. She was, from what the baseball player could tell, an interesting individual. Then again, she also seemed to be the type of person not to be exactly a team player, which was poor decision for her...at least in his opinion.

"Do you think you can outrun those little guys, by any chance?"

Stopping in mid-bite, Chris glanced up at Kokoro and her inquiry. This only caused him to start to smirk, as he snickered slightly, adjusting his glasses some.

"Heh, can I outrun them?" he asked back, only to point his fork at Kokoro. "I take that as a jab on my athletic pride. But to answer your question...I can at least keep up with the smaller ones. Now those HUGE ones that rampage around outside the school? Pffft, you can just forget that. I'd rather stay out of the line of sight for those."

With that, he took another bite of his food, before twirling his fork in his hand some. Leaning his head on his hand, he looked at the blonde haired girl and chuckled lightly. "That said, whaaaaaaaat is it that you have in mind or planned?"

[Faytl 86]

A quick breeze past the library, poking her head in and giving her by-now traditional cheery morning greeting to the librarian. She wasn't sure if she could be understood by her, but it felt wrong to just let the flaming-haired woman sit there just the same. She spared a greeting to Todd as well, completely unfazed by his bristly demeanor. And after that, cafeteria for breakfast as Chris voiced his question to Kokoro.

"That's a good question. For all of us."

The silver-haired Romy breezed into the cafeteria, rubbing at an eye drowzily as she straightened her shirt. "Good morning, everyone," she said with a soft smile, taking a plate and pulling up a chair next to Kokoro. "If we can't stop them from stealing the food... Well, we're gonna run out eventually, right? Best not to have them make it faster." She idly tapped her fork on her plate, frowning in thought, brow furrowed. "I guess they don't want to take their chances outside... Which is fair, I guess."

"Mr. Hederson, I know you and the other teachers are thinking about it a lot," she said gently, turning to meet Henderson's eye. "But we really do wanna know, see if we can help; Have you guys thought of anything? Like I said... we can't stay here much longer, right? Food won't last forever."

She tilted her head, looking past Henderson into the corner, where Touch was crouched with his ration. She blinked in confusion, watching him for a solid thirty seconds. Eventually she gave a small giggle, standing and breaking her ration into two portions.

"Especially if we feed the imp things," she continued, stepping lightly behind Touch and placing a hand on one of his shoulders, reaching over the other one to hand him half her portion, "and not ourselves." She placed it into his hand, smiling at him. "Itadokimas," she said brightly. A few seconds followed before she frowned, her eyes rolling up towards the ceiling as she fell into thought. "Is that how it's pronounced? I'm not sure... Itadami... No... Itadari..."

[ZetaRESP 5]

Touch glances to his shoulder as Romy touches it, then notices her giving her part of her ration. "Uh... sure..." He saw her trying to express her gratitude at the meal. He simply sat down, food on his lap, and joined his hands. "Itadakimasu." He began to eat his half ration, while he expected for his plan to work. He had a vague idea of what to expect, but he was sure of something: Those creatures are key in this travel. So, his plan is that he needs to find a friendly one that can help him actually advance to the next part of the map. He's sure that's how this 'game' works.

Edited April 9, 2019 by ZetaRESP

[Saikazo 241]

"Morning Mr. Henderson. Seems like the little thieves around here are getting weirder and weirder looking, huh?" he asked, sitting at one of the tables, already working on eating. Mr. Henderson looked up from picking up his pot lid, shaking his head as he dusted the piece of metal off.

"Sadly, that's not even the strangest thing I've seen around here," The teacher commented with a grin and a laugh. "It is, however, the most persistent one,"

"We should figure out something we can do about them," Kokoro suggested. "Do you think you can outrun those little guys, by any chance?" Mr. Henderson frowned at that. As a teacher, he couldn't condone such an idea. Still, he knew it would be best to at least let them plan this out themselves. Hopefully though, most people would dismiss this as a bad---

"Heh, can I outrun them?" Chris asked back, only to point his fork at Kokoro. "I take that as a jab on my athletic pride. But to answer your question...I can at least keep up with the smaller ones. Now those HUGE ones that rampage around outside the school? Pffft, you can just forget that. I'd rather stay out of the line of sight for those." He paused to take a bite of his food. "That said, whaaaaaaaat is it that you have in mind or planned?"

Well, that wasn't a good sign. Perhaps some of the others would speak up and be a voice of reason...

"That's a good question. For all of us." Mr. Henderson suppressed the sigh and frown he knew was forming on his face. "If we can't stop them from stealing the food... Well, we're gonna run out eventually, right? Best not to have them make it faster.I guess they don't want to take their chances outside... Which is fair, I guess." Dammit, they were being voices of reason, just not the reason he wanted to hear. "Mr. Henderson, I know you and the other teachers are thinking about it a lot," she said gently, turning to meet Henderson's eye. "But we really do wanna know, see if we can help; Have you guys thought of anything? Like I said... we can't stay here much longer, right? Food won't last forever."

She then went to check on Touch... who was sitting in a corner. Mr. Henderson was glad someone was looking out for the boy. Honestly, the boy reminded him too much of a kid he used to know, and it was taking everything in his power to not treat the exchange student the same way he treated his old friend. Right now though, he should answer the kids.

"Look, I understand you kids are on edge right now. We've been stuck here for a week, and all we've had to eat is cafeteria food," He said that with joking disgust. "But don't give up hope, alright?" He picked up a carton of milk, walking across the tables before getting to Dominic's table. He slid it across the table, it stopping neatly by Dominic's tray. "The other teachers and I have a plan, but it'll take a few days to put into effect. For now, just relax, and don't kill each other," He headed to the hallways, presumably to patrol the halls. He then noticed Mackenzie about to head back to the library, having dropped off the two plates. "Oh, you got a tray for Ms. Grace to? Thanks for that, Mackenzie. That saves me a trip," 

He kept walking but then paused, obviously thinking about something. Inwardly, he debated if he should say what he was planning to. It might raise some suspicions and have some questions asked that he didn't want to answer. Still, it was better if they knew. He turned back to the group gathered in the cafeteria and smiled.

"As for the...," He hesitated, "creatures... I know that a lot of them are scary, and the bigger ones are most certainly dangerous... however... they're not mindless beasts. Some of the more devious ones could be setting up traps of their own. However... you don't have to be afraid of them to. You might find a good friend if you just sit down and talk to one," And with that, he disappeared around the corner.

---

Conner wasn't sure what the day would bring. He doubt there would ever be a 'good' day so long as they were in this prison of a school, just days that weren't as bad. However, he was sure that this day wouldn't be those 'less bad' days.

"Good morning Conner my one-armed chum. How fairs this morning?" Theodore had asked and pointed out Conner's sore spot like there was nothing wrong. Conner raised his stump and looked at it. Now, Conner didn't like the fact that people were gone, but if the rest of the drama club was like Theodore, then maybe it was for the better. He took a bite with some difficulty... holding a fork with his left hand was much harder then he'd imagine it'd be, before commenting.

"Peachy," with as much sarcasm as he could muster. He stood up, stretching and sighing to himself. He really didn't want to deal with Theodore right now, but he thought it might be rude to just blow him off. "And how are you...?" After receiving an answer, he headed to the bathroom. Maybe some cold water to his face would make him feel better.

He entered the room, heading to a sink and quickly turning on the water. A quick splash on his face did make him feel much better. He turned off the water and looked up... only to receive a huge shock.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" He screamed as he recoiled from the mirror, his heart racing as he stared in the mirror. Instead of seeing his own face, he saw some sort of pointy thing in the mirror. Looking behind him, he confirmed whatever was in the mirror wasn't there, at least not visibly. What the hell was all this?

---

By the wall blocking the exit, a loud scratching noise could be heard, as if there was something inside, trying to dig its way through. It was soft at first, however it slowly but surely was getting louder and louder.

---

OOC

Spoiler

Alright, so now that everyone been introduced, feel free to interact and investigate. If you feel like meeting your digimon, feel free to plant the seeds, but you won't be getting your devices just yet. If you wanna investigate the scratching or Conner, feel free to DM me and I'll answer questions you may have or need.

 

[ZetaRESP 5]

Touch heard the words and thought for a moment, finishing his half ration and taking the other one with him as he stands up from the corner. "Well, can't advance without some input." He looks at them as they are probably looking at him weirdly. "I'll go fulfill the quest, just... don't get game over while I'm out, ne?" He leaves the cafeteria. He heads towards the classrooms near the library and places the food on one of the desks, sitting in the desk next to it. Then he pulls out a piece of paper and scribbles some words on it, while he yawns a bit as he slowly feels like starting to get asleep. The paper was placed on top of the food and it read, in Japanese, of course:

"<Do you want to be friends?>"

[Mr. Hyde 204]

Todd skimmed through the rows and rows of books, not looking for any one in particular.  Some books had some strange markings on them, as if a rat had torn through the front to back of the whole thing, ripping the pages along the way.  This was especially the case in the Action and Science Fiction aisles.  Little graffiti marked some of the pages, with a silly face with long ears that had a little saying next to it that read, 'I'm #1!'  Todd picked up one of the books that had the scratches on the cover, Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World'.  It didn't seem like the book for the situation...hit a little too close to home with a title like that.  He placed it back, and searched again.  He found a generic book about a lone bowman, which turned out to be the middle of a series of books.

"You can't tell me where to start."  He said, scratching the cover, giving a mindful look back to the Fiery Librarian.  He stopped scratching at any sign of attention given from her, but he could still hear the faint sounds of scratching coming from somewhere.  He took the book, and checked it out, anxious if the Librarian would notice any scratches.  Once he was done, he followed the faint sounds.  Along the way, he saw Mackenzie heading towards the Library.  "I'm not crazy, right?  You hear that too?"  He said to the girl, not even sparing her a look as he walked past.  Todd eventually made his way to one of the exits on the floor.  There, inside the stone wall nearby, he could hear the faint scratching sound clearly.

"Probably just some rat..."  He said, squatting down as low as he could, as he focused on the wall.  The longer he squatted, and listened, the louder the scratching became.  It sounded like a full on digging at some points.  "Probably just some...really buff rat..."  He guessed, his chin resting above a cupped hand.  With the other, he started scratching the wall as well.  Maybe help had arrived, and was digging into the school!  He approached closer to inspect the gaps left between the vines and stone, hoping to see the source of all the scratching and digging.  Past it all, he could see some strange bones, prompting him to jump a bit, but looking past them, he could see a golden knife grinding its way through the stone.    

"What the?!"  He said, looking at the strange site.  This was probably the most exciting thing to happen since all of this, so Todd opted to try and dig the thing out himself.  Jiggling some of the rocks from the wall a bit loose, he was able to pull them out.  He continued to do so, in an attempt to reach the glimmering knife.  Once he had plucked some stones from the wall, he heard the digging stop, and a voice come through.

"Wait, what?!  There WERE people in here?  And I thought my master was just sending me on a wild goose chase!"  He could see the knife retract from the other side, flashing the number 20 on it's side.  

"Wait!  Get back here!  I want answers!"  Todd said, reaching through the stone, smashing his shoulder against the small hole he had made in a vain attempt to grab for the knife, but to no avail.  "Damn."  He said, taking his arm out of the hole.  Was it one of those things everyone was talking about?  

[yui 574]

"Heh, can I outrun them?  I take that as a jab on my athletic pride."

It was an actual serious question, but okay. I wouldn't expect a person to outrun a dog either, even if they're fit like you are.

"But to answer your question...I can at least keep up with the smaller ones. Now those HUGE ones that rampage around outside the school? Pffft, you can just forget that. I'd rather stay out of the line of sight for those.  That said, whaaaaaaaat is it that you have in mind or planned?"

"That's a good question. For all of us.  Good morning, everyone,"

"Good morning."

"If we can't stop them from stealing the food... Well, we're gonna run out eventually, right? Best not to have them make it faster. I guess they don't want to take their chances outside... Which is fair, I guess. Mr. Hederson, I know you and the other teachers are thinking about it a lot. But we really do wanna know, see if we can help; Have you guys thought of anything? Like I said... we can't stay here much longer, right? Food won't last forever. Especially if we feed the imp things."

Kokoro was ready to explain just what she had in mind, but Mr. Henderson chimed in with a small speech about how it wasn't the time to give up hope, and there was a plan but it'd take a while, so on and so forth. What really caught Kokoro's interest though, was the mention that some of the smarter ones could be laying out traps of their own, and that they might make a good friend among the creatures if they just talked to one. That moral sounds a bit familiar...

As Mr. Henderson rounded the corner and left, Kokoro peered at the corner closely, waiting to make sure he was actually gone. Seemed like it. Time to share her plan "What I was thinking was, if you could chase one of those creatures down and catch it, we could tie it up and ask it some questions. Where it's taking our food, what caused the world to get like this, that sort of thing. And... maybe try out Mr. Henderson's advice. Even if it's another mouth to feed, it would be easier to divide up the food if they don't run off after stealing what they can grab."

[Chaos Sonic 442]

"Look, I understand you kids are on edge right now. We've been stuck here for a week, and all we've had to eat is cafeteria food. But don't give up hope, alright? The other teachers and I have a plan, but it'll take a few days to put into effect. For now, just relax, and don't kill each other. Oh, you got a tray for Ms. Grace to? Thanks for that, Mackenzie. That saves me a trip. As for the...creatures... I know that a lot of them are scary, and the bigger ones are most certainly dangerous... however... they're not mindless beasts. Some of the more devious ones could be setting up traps of their own. However... you don't have to be afraid of them to. You might find a good friend if you just sit down and talk to one."

Chris nodded at what Mr. Henderson explained, watching the teacher disappear around the corner. "Welp, guess that means that's out of the question th-"

"What I was thinking was, if you could chase one of those creatures down and catch it, we could tie it up and ask it some questions. Where it's taking our food, what caused the world to get like this, that sort of thing. And... maybe try out Mr. Henderson's advice. Even if it's another mouth to feed, it would be easier to divide up the food if they don't run off after stealing what they can grab."

"...ever the determined one, aren't you?" Chris asked, smirking with a roll of his eyes. Still, what Mr. Henderson said did make sense, buuuuut knowing Kokoro, she wouldn't want to do the same thing that Touch most likely was doing...or whatever his "chance encounter" thing he mentioned was. After all, she wasn't the team player. "Still, if that's the case, how's this? We entertain your idea...buuuuuuut we're also grabbing some spare food as well. The best of the two plans and which can meld together to build a new one. How's that sound?"

[The Warden 33]

Well it appears that Conner was in good spirits, how merry. "Prithee so? Well I'm fine myself, having spent this more rambling on with my lines for what would have been the upcoming drama club play. Practice waits for no one after all" Theodore Oswald Dreifus Shaw chuckled with brevity. "In fact I-" he began, but caught himself as Conner just inexplicably left for the bathroom.

Most peculiar, especially leaving his food behind too. It was barely touched, and one wouldn't want to let those nasty little imps get at it. Though the armless man did leave in such a hurry, so perchance there was something up? Yes, that must be it. Scooping up the uneaten meal, Theodore Oswald Dreifus Shaw glided along the floor to the bathroom, when he was alarmed by such a baritone roar of terror. So naturally the thespian wrenched the door open. "Conner, what has happened man? Are you in distress?" he queried, taking the food into the boy's bathroom.

Hovering behind him, Theodore Oswald Dreifus Shaw was met by a most peculiar peculiarity. "How intriguing. The statuette is oddly within the mirror, and as such the mirror no longer casts a reflection" he commented. "Curious that no one has mentioned this yet when strange happenings have spread around the school since the calamity" he spoke, addressing Conner. "Many a student has made mention of a strange glyph in the gym, though they only ever see it out of the corner of their eyes. It's quite strange, for when they turn to look at it, like magic it's simply gone! I heard that student Touch mention something about fire in regards to it, though I pray not. Imagine that! Fire spreading throughout the gym, like we don't have enough worries right my friend? Ha haa. Ahhh, but pity this place isn't Wonderland" Theodore Oswald Dreifus Shaw wistfully mused. "It would be so much better if it were, after all, in Wonderland there are no more troubles, for the greatest problem would be things a child could understand" he sang pleasantly while leaving Conner's food by the sink. "But when it gets round to it, anything can be a Wonderland Conner. For wishing things could be such a way, then life would be a Wonderland" he concluded melodically, and with a meticulous and dramatic turn he left the one-armed fellow to his staring contest.

[Blake 312]

"Oh, you got a tray for Ms. Grace to? Thanks for that, Mackenzie. That saves me a trip," 

Mackenize simply nodded as she was thanked, turning to leave. However, she stayed in place at the doors, just long enough to listen to what the teacher had to say. Befriend... one of these creatures? Seemed strange. Mackenzie couldn't befriend a person, much less a creature. If only they were animals or something... She'd probably have a much easier time then. With the teacher walking away, so did the redhead, walking out into the hall, and quickly returning to the library. While she intended to sit down and get back to her book, she was interrupted by another student.

"I'm not crazy, right?  You hear that too?"  

Listening closely, Mackenize did hear something... but what of it? Weren't there a lot of weird noises as of late? However, before she could even consider answering, the boy had already continued, muttering to himself.

"Probably just some rat... Probably just some...really buff rat..."  

With a shake of her head, Mackenize headed back to her desk. She had planned to return to her book, but what she found instead was a caterpillar or something on the desk, looking at her book. Except, this caterpillar was much, much larger than any real caterpillar was, at about the length of the novel on the desk. Did that mean it was one of those creatures? Mackenzie looked back over her shoulder to see if the boy was near, but he wasn't. Besides, this couldn't be a 'really buff rat' that he was hearing. Mackenize considered walking away, before she heard the creature speak.

"Uuu... I can't make heads or tails of this... this is completely different from our letters and numbers..." The creatures sighed sadly, "And there has to be a clue here..."

"A clue about what?"

The bug jumped in fear, letting out a shrill scream... And Mackenzie had jumped at her own voice, as well. Why had she just let that slip? She shouldn't have even engaged this creature in conversation.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to invade your space, oh, um..." The creature muttered, looking about as if it wanted to escape, "D-don't hurt me, I'm just a tiny Wormmon! I can't even hurt a human! I-I just wanted to know why you guys were here!"

"Eh?" Mackenzie cocked her head, surprised by how cute this 'Wormmon' was acting, "You don't know? I figured you creatures did it."

"We're not creatures! W-we're Digimon! And we were just as surprised to see you!"

"Is that so..." Mackenzie muttered, officially having spoken more this day than the entirety of the time since the world had shifted, "But... what's a Digimon?"

"A digital monster, of course!" The small worm puffed out its chest, almost prompting a small laugh from Mackenzie.

"I see... Well, if you want to learn how to read the book, I guess I can help. You don't seem too dangerous, Wormmon. Maybe we can figured something out together."

"I-I'm not, I promise! Thank you very much, uh..."

"Mackenzie."

"Mackenzie!" the bug cried out, looking a bit less on edge than before, though not entirely better.

The girl smiled as she sat, with Wormmon moving to the side as she began to explain the symbols. A smile slowly crept onto her face as they talked, somehow at ease with this innocent-seeming creature. Maybe Mr. Henderson wasn't wrong, after all.

[Faytl 86]

Romy smiled a bit as Touch left the room, talking about something she didn't quite understand. He was an odd boy, but at least he was a bit of a ray of sunlight in here, where it felt so dark all the time. As she listened to their teacher, she nodded slowly along to everything he was saying. His last words, about the creatures... Those intrigued her. What did he mean by that?

As Kokoro outlined her plan, she contemplated her words, and Henderson's as well. It was only when Chris spoke up that she added her own opinion to the mix.

"Maybe Mr. Henderson is right. Maybe we don't have to capture one... Maybe we can convince it to help us? Give it a little bit of food so we can stop a bunch of them? Maybe then it'd tell us willingly what exactly is going on... if they know themselves." She shrugged, taking a bite of the meager meal she had left after sharing with Touch. "I don't know, really. It's hard to figure out what's best if we don't know much about them. I-"

She cut herself off as she heard a loud shouting sound from outside, further down the hallway. Coming from the bathrooms. "What was that?" she asked, rising and quickly walking to the doorway. "Did you guys hear that?" Her steps accelerated as she ran down the hall, whipping around the corner and backpedaling to stop herself from running into Theodore. "Oh! Theodore! Was that yell you? Are you okay?" She placed a hand on his shoulder, looking around the hallway for any sign of disturbance. "I heard someone shouting, what was..." She stopped, cocking her head, slowly turning it upwards to look at the ceiling.

There was a serious of thuds emanating from above the plaster tiles. And she could see leaking from the seams slight traces of smoke.

"... What's that?" she asked very quietly, tightening her grip on Theodore's shoulder and moving to slowly start tugging him back towards the cafeteria.

[The Warden 33]

Well, from one damsel in distress to another was it not when that girl, Remy was it? Remy almost collided with the force of two fencers locked in deadly duel. "Yellling? Moi. No, it was Conner spooked by a phantom in the mirror that distressed him so. Quite the peculiar thing too, resembling some form of art" he commented while the girl was distracted.

Following her gaze, Theodore Oswald Dreifus Shaw tilted his head to the thuds from above, with a small trail of dust dancing their last on the way to the ground. "While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, as of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. “’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door— Only this and nothing more” he quoted while being dragged away. "Great gadzooks girl, it's merely some thumping" he complained while being pulled slowly backwards. "Really now," Theodore Oswald Dreifus Shaw huffily said, brushing Romy's hand from him, "it's probably something much like the imps or that one tadpole I saw getting curious above, or perhaps they are playing a prank? Seems likely with how light the thumping is" he explained matter-of-factedly. "Though if it concerns you so, then fear not!" he grandly proclaimed, placing a protective arm in front of her. "For I, your noble knight, shall protect the princess from the fearsome dragon!"

[reparoni 161]

Dominic gave a sharp glance around the place, slowly eating his food as the others bickered with each other. The two that caught his attention - Chris and Kokoro were talking about outrunning and capturing one of the little buggers. Dom simply scoffed, rolling his eyes and he took one last bite from his meal. They even wanted to befriend on of them! Dominic had just about enough of this nonsense. "So why are we trying to befriend one of these... imps?" He said, standing up and placing his tray neatly on top of the one that had slid next to him. "We're not negotiating with these beasts." He shook his head - this was about what he expected from these imbeciles. He crossed his arms, giving dumb and dumber a glare. "That said, I think it's a good idea to scope the place out for food. Better than starving in here." He turned his back to the pair, pulling up his scarf again. "Whenever we head out, tell me." He turned his head towards the two. There was no way he was going to let any of these mouth breathers go out on their own.

[yui 574]

"...ever the determined one, aren't you? Still, if that's the case, how's this? We entertain your idea...buuuuuuut we're also grabbing some spare food as well. The best of the two plans and which can meld together to build a new one. How's that sound?"

Of course. If we find any.

"So why are we trying to befriend one of these... imps? We're not negotiating with these beasts. That said, I think it's a good idea to scope the place out for food. Better than starving in here."

"Right? It's nice to be positive about making friends with these things, but I'm not buying it."

"Maybe Mr. Henderson is right. Maybe we don't have to capture one... Maybe we can convince it to help us? Give it a little bit of food so we can stop a bunch of them? Maybe then it'd tell us willingly what exactly is going on... if they know themselves. I don't know, really. It's hard to figure out what's best if we don't know much about them. I-"

It was then that Kokoro heard some sort of yelling from outside, instinctively getting up to her feet in response. Seemed ilke Romy had heard it too, as she - along with Kokoro - went out into the hallway to see what was up. And there they were met with Theodore Oswald Shaw Dreifus. Er... Theodore Shaw Oswald Dreifus? Shaw Dreifus Oswald? Why did this guy have four names anyway? Ah, Theodore Oswald Dreifus Shaw, that was it! Must be a western thing. I'm glad I've only met one person with four names.

"Yellling? Moi. No, it was Conner spooked by a phantom in the mirror that distressed him so. Quite the peculiar thing too, resembling some form of art. While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, as of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. “’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door— Only this and nothing more”. Great gadzooks girl, it's merely some thumping. Really now. It's probably something much like the imps or that one tadpole I saw getting curious above, or perhaps they are playing a prank? Seems likely with how light the thumping is. Though if it concerns you so, then fear not! For I, your noble knight, shall protect the princess from the fearsome dragon!"

"Get ready to do some defending then, Mr. "Noble Knight,"" Kokoro commented, removing the shoe from her right foot, and looking up at the ceiling where the thumping was. There was definitely something up there, and it probably wasn't human. One of those creatures probably, like Shaw had said. And then, without much in the way of warning, Kokoro cast her arm back, then shot it upward, throwing the shoe at the thumping spot with all she had, hoping to knock the ceiling panel loose. If there was one thing Kokoro learned with her foster family here, it was that few weapons were more rightly terrifying than a thrown shoe.

[Saikazo 241]

"Wait!  Get back here!  I want answers! Damn," As Todd took his arm out of the hole, a new noise was heard from the wall. Instead of the scratching from earlier, it now sounded like a power tool was taken to the wall, the high pitched whining filling the area. Not even a few seconds later, a golden spinning ball exploded from the wall, unfurling in midair to reveal a gold armor plated creature. It resembled a small bipedal dragon, with a white cape dangling behind it and a large blade on its snout.

"There no need to fear!" It called out as it landed and began doing some poses it obviously thought looked cool. "I, Zubamon, am here to help all of you!" He paused as he spotted Todd, looking the teen up and down, a confused look in its eye. "Wait, are you a... hoomin?" It asked, dropping the pose. "Wow, you're the first hoomin I've ever met! I should get my master, he's been looking for hoomins!" He turned to go back to the hole he made... only to discover that there was a small cave in, covering the hole he had made. That would be like... another hour of digging. Crap. With a cough, he turned back to Todd. "So, um... what's your name, hoomin?"

---

"Conner, what has happened man? Are you in distress?" Conner looked up to see that Theo had followed him, with his food in hand. Then again, he did scream... so... anyways, it seemed the drama nut saw the thing to. "How intriguing. The statuette is oddly within the mirror, and as such the mirror no longer casts a reflection" he commented. "Curious that no one has mentioned this yet when strange happenings have spread around the school since the calamity" he spoke, addressing Conner.

"Maybe no one had seen it yet?" He commented. He was pretty sure others would have said something by now if they saw a monster in the mirror.

"Many a student has made mention of a strange glyph in the gym, though they only ever see it out of the corner of their eyes. It's quite strange, for when they turn to look at it, like magic it's simply gone! I heard that student Touch mention something about fire in regards to it, though I pray not. Imagine that! Fire spreading throughout the gym, like we don't have enough worries right my friend? Ha haa. Ahhh, but pity this place isn't Wonderland" Theodore Oswald Dreifus Shaw wistfully mused. "It would be so much better if it were, after all, in Wonderland there are no more troubles, for the greatest problem would be things a child could understand" he sang pleasantly while leaving Conner's food by the sink. "But when it gets round to it, anything can be a Wonderland Conner. For wishing things could be such a way, then life would be a Wonderland,"

And then he just left. Conner looked down at the tray of food and back to the retreating form of Theo. What the heck was with him?

"What a weirdo...," Conner muttered before turning back to the mirror. Suddenly... he... heard something.

"Kees I eno eht ton era uoy. Thgil fo dlihc ,uoy ot tuo sllac taht eno eht dnif," Conner gripped his head as the strange alien voice echoing in his skull, speaking a language he could not understand. What was this?! Why was this happening to him? Looking at the mirror once more, he could see a phrase etching itself into the mirror. "Call unto me as I see you"

It was all too much for the one armed boy, and he rushed out of the room. Unfortunately though, he came out just as Kokoro threw her shoe, nailing the ceiling. The tile fell out of place, and three small animals fell out from the ceiling, landing right on top of Conner and knocking him to the floor. Two of them, a hoodie wearing monster and a white hedgehog with a blue scarf, immediately got up and tried to bolt, the hedgehog heading for the gym as the hoodie wearing creature rushed for the kitchen. 

The third one, a black dragon with red fangs, was laying on its back on top on Conner, struggling to flip back upwards and get back on its feet. Conner just laid on the ground, groaning about how heavy the thing on his back was.

---

Mr. Henderson took heavy breaths as he hid behind a teacher's desk, breathing heavily as he used his hand to apply pressure on a large gash he had, doing his best to stop the bleed. "Shit," He cursed under his breath. He had snuck onto the third floor, despite it being against the rules, but it was all according to plan. They'd find a safe path to the roof, and climb down, so the students could get out of this temple. However, that plan hit one really big snag. "Can't believe there's a Devimon in this school," He muttered.

As if on cue, a tall, black leather wearing creature had lumbered in, hunching over as it walked through the doorway. "I know you're here huuuuuuman," It said in a singsong voice. "You won't escape me...," Mr. Henderson peeked from the side of the room, seeing that the Devimon had decided to check the broom closet first. This wasn't good... it was only a matter of time.

---

Ms. Grace looked up from behind her desk in the library, seeing Mackenzie conversing with Wormmon. Her face was unreadable as she walked towards the two, her steps silent. She passed them up to go to the shelves though, grabbing what looked like a children's picture book about a cat with a tall hat. She placed it down on the table where Mackenzie sat.

"It might... help," She said quietly before walking back to her desk.

[ZetaRESP 5]

The noise made by the people around him was not enough to wake Touch up. The eating sounds coming from the sit next too him are not enough to wake him up either. The words of the small creature that seemed a mix of a lion and a dande... lion... well, those were not enough to wake him up either. The feeling of the creature nibbling on his right hand as it seems to try and savor the food scent left on his gloves? Yeah, that is enough to wake him up. "Huh?"

He pulled his hand up, seeing the happy nibbling creature shaking its tail, which causes him to get a tail slap on his face. He shakes the feeling off and simply taps on the creature's head, causing it to look at his glare. The creature simply smiled nervously and let go of his hand. "Ow... sorry, I didn't want to-"

"You're my partner now, boy."

The little creature was confused. "Huh?"

"You read my card, you eat my food, we're now partners. Help me level up and you'll get more food. Deal?" The creature looked at him confused, then sees his tail moving and begins to chase it, much to Touch's chagrin. "My name is Tatewaki Minamizawa, but you can call me Touch. I'm a human from outside of this world."

"Oh, I'm Frimon! Pleased to meet you!" Frimon bounced around him. "Wow, you look tall!"

Touch sighed a bit. "Look, we need to get in the adventure-"

"YAY! ADVENTURE!" Frimon jumped onto Touch's arms with a very eager grin. "When do we begin?!"

Touch smirks, petting Frimon. "Right now." He exits the classroom, ready to get to the "next checkpoint."

[yui 574]

Well, it worked. The panel fell from the ceiling, revealing not one, but three creatures. One was stuck on its back, helplessly flailing about while poor Connor who happened to be in the wrong place at the right time was pinned down by the apparently heavy creature who had landed on him. She could come back to help him out later. Right now, the other two were getting away. Nudging Chris with her elbow, Kokoro pointed to the hedgehog-like one and said "You get that one. I'll grab the guy with the hoodie." And with that, she went off, chasing after the more menacing looking of the two creatures, right into the kitchen. Where it seemed to have disappeared.

Must be hiding somewhere.

Kokoro looked around. It was a small thing, so finding it would probably prove to be a challenge. Or so she thought. It probably would have been a challenge, if not for one of the cables she recognized as sticking out from its back, sticking out from one of the cabinets. Kokoro opened it swiftly, then grabbed the creature by its hand, holding it up in front of her. As it tried to wiggle free of her grip, Kokoro only tightened her grasp on the creature, before bluntly asking "Got anything to say for yourself?"

"I'm not afraid of a stinky human like you!"

"'Stinky?' Now you're just making this personal." Creature in hand, Kokoro looked around through the drawers in the kitchen, before finding what she was looking for. A steak knife. "You shouldn't talk to someone who's armed and has you in this position like that."

"I-I'm sorry!" it pleaded, the tough persona it had put up suddenly dropping. "I won't do it again! Calling you stinky or stealing the food!"

"Good. Now, I've got some questions for you, and I expect you to answer them honestly."

However... you don't have to be afraid of them to. You might find a good friend if you just sit down and talk to one,

...fine. Let's give it a shot. "This is going to sound stupid, but have you considered working with humans instead of slinking around in the shadows?"

"...no?"

"Do you want to?"

The creature paused in its struggle, suddenly seeming to think particularly hard on the question Kokoro had posed. "It... sounds easier than what I'm doing. You'll share your food, right?"

"We can arrange that. It's settled then. I don't trust you creatures, but from now on, you're with us." Kokoro set the creature down on the floor, before asking one final question as she made for the door. "What am I supposed to call you, anyway?"

"Hackmon."

"Weird name. Mine's Kokoro." This still felt like a stupid idea to her. But she was already past the point of no return now. Best to just roll with it at this point.