I don't own digimon.

Story 57

More than a fan

Shoutmon stared at the bright lights of Las Vegas. Of all the places his partner could've gone too, it had to be this wretched place. He never did get why humans were so keen on vomiting out so many lights onto their buildings. Would it be far easier and better to just have a smaller number but just make them a tiny bit brighter. That felt like something that made perfect sense, but was likely more complicated than his monkey brain could comprehend. Something to ponder as he searched this glitzy city of lights and dreams.

"Erica, this better be worth it." the rocker digimon announced as he took care to weave about the crowds of people on the sidewalks. What could be drawing in so many people at a time like this? Craning his neck in search of anything that could get people's attention, his gaze came upon a sign. Done up with a dark blue background, someone had gone through the trouble of doing up some lettering in a nautical theme.

Fear the Marching Fishes

One Night Only!

"Really? A simple band is all that it takes to get everyone to come running? Pathetic." Shoutmon announced, already feeling multiple sets of eyes on him for that , dismissing a band that one had never heard before was less than professional for a musician. At the same time, they had to have some kind of gimmick to make them stand out from all the other bands out there. If groups were actually touring.

"You have a problem with them?!" a person announced and gave Shoutmon a push. Not even responding to this attack, he instead waited a moment for the person to to move on. When they didn't, the rocker digimon pulled his head down to meet the person. Dressed in a black shirt emblazoned with 'Fear the Marching Fishes' and a pair of plain pants, the scent of strawberries of all things wafted Shoutmon's way. Hair dyed glacial white, a pair of dark green eyes did their best to meet Shoutmon's face. Easier said than done with the massive height difference they had on the rocker digimon.

"No. But I do have a problem with you pushing me." Shoutmon announced and was met with a shrug from the fan. Holding in the words that he wanted to say, a deep breath escaped his lips. "Are they the main act or are they fronting for someone else?"

Silence fell over the fan. Shoutmon liked to think that he was asking a simple question, but this could just be the result of the sign. If not that, he couldn't figure out what it was. Just one more oddity for this strange town that people liked.

"Main act. Are you going to try and get my ticket or something?!" the fan countered and Shoutmon rolled his eyes. What was with this person? He didn't mean them any harm. While the temptation to convince them to hand off the ticket was there, it wasn't worth the effort. They probably think he was some kind of plushie. Or something along those lines. Unless… Yeah. That could totally work. But would his mark actually go for the bait? If they did, this would be remarkably easy. If they decided to play hard to get, then he would just need to talk some sense into them and get on their side.

"I don't think they would even think that I'm a concertgoer. Unless you're willing to let me tag alone." Shoutmon announced and leaned forward. Glaring up at the fan, part of him debated just asking what their name was. Oh well. Probably didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. Or if it did, he would just have to deal with the consequences of said choice. Whichever it was, remained to be seen.

"Not going to happen." the fan answered and shook his head. Stepping away, Shoutmon weaved his way around. This person was their one and only chance to get to Erica. If he lost them, then he could kiss any opportunity of getting into the theater goodbye. But he shoved that thought away in favor of other things. Things like future business opportunities, for starters. After the whole debacle with the Etemon Elvis School, he needed something far more stable. Maybe he could give out voice lessons. A lot of digimon said he had a nice singing voice. Whether or not that would translate here remained to be seen. Beyond that, he could always be a coach. Those people were always paid a shitload of money. At least, that was what Etemon had told him before they parted ways. An odd character. Came from a place called 'Portugal'. Quite a long way from Las Vegas, that was for sure. Hopefully he found his partner. A far cry from the situation that he now found himself in. Kind of made him jealous. But that thought faded as quickly as it appeared. Turning his attention ahead, he kept an eye out for this target. Having not gotten far, it was actually easy to make them out. Not that the fan was actually making it a challenge here. Heading in the direction of thinner crowds, it gave Shoutmon more than enough time to catch up and get in a better position. In this case, up on a wall. Following right behind, they had to have noticed him continuing to follow. Unless their intention was to sic security on them. If it was, they would have hell to pay for. Between his staff and just shouting, there was little that they could do to stop him. Unless it was Erica. Then he would very much stop here. Wouldn't want to cause her any more trouble than he already had.

"Go bother someone else!" the fan announced and took a swipe at Shoutmon. Missing entirely, that just left them open for even more attacks. Not that Shoutmon took advantage of that opportunity. Instead, he met the fan's gaze once more.

"You're my only option, kid. If some other option were to walk by, I would gladly take it. But life ain't fair and neither am I." Shoutmon countered and stared at the fan. Met with a middle finger, Shoutmon shook his head. Kids these days. The least they could do is provide a modicum of respect. But no, that's asking too much. Perhaps there was something that he could do to get them on his side. If not, there was always force. But that was a last resort. One only taken when they attempt to use force on him.

"What do you think is so special in that building that you couldn't just break in yourself? You're going through a lot of effort for something that could be solved by just sneaking in." the fan announced, only to be met with a glare from Shoutmon. This kid just didn't get it. Yes, he could very much sneak his way through. It would be a massive challenge, but possible. Yet, there was little fun in doing that. He was meant for the spotlight! Not playing second fiddle within the shadows. This fan had to have noticed that at this point. But no, that passed by without a word. Or perhaps they had something else on their mind that tumped whatever he was talking about. "I still don't see how this involves me." the fan announced and came to a stop. Looking around for anyone to help them, they found themselves coming up short. Leave it to them to pick the only place secluded enough for this… thing to jump them and attempt to hold them up. Their day had been going remarkably well too. He got to Las Vegas relatively ahead of schedule, picked up the ticket and then had more than enough time to play tourist for a bit. Then when the time came to wait, they were right on time for the show. But that was where their fortune had changed for the worse.

"You get me in and we're even. Simple as that. Did my explanation go through one ear and out the other?" Shoutmon accused and leaned forward to meet the fan's gaze. He had thought his explanation had been quite clear when the fan blew him off. Nonetheless, the rocker digimon could just explain it one more time. Perhaps this time they would actually listen instead of blowing them off for the sake of being edgy and or rude. If not that, then to just be a pain. Which were the exact same thing in his book.

"You pass me off as a stuffed animal when we head through the area where they check tickets… unless you're carrying something on you that security wouldn't like." Shoutmon announced and was met with a sigh from the fan. Better than getting blown off, but not by much. Did they have some kind of ulterior motive here? Possible, but the rocker digimon couldn't gauge what that might be.

"Why don't you buy your own ticket? That feels like it would be far more useful here." the fan countered and got a look from Shoutmon. What did he take him for? Some kind of rich fuck with actual disposable cash to spend? No one in this world would even take Digital World currency for the Real World equivalent. To start off with, Digital World money had nothing tangible backing it. Even if it did, it was in fact digital. The limitation of physical cash registers made it quite difficult to hold and even ironically, cash. Quite a blunder on the creator's part. Perhaps in the future, such currencies will be accepted and all will be right in the world.

"Do I look like the kind of person who would have your kind of money on me? Get real." Shoutmon announced and got a sigh from the fan. Part of him would've thought they would know that fact. Or were digital monsters just a whole new concept to them? Wouldn't surprise the rocker digimon.

"I'm not giving you any money to let you buy a ticket." the fan continued and got a glare from Shoutmon. So much for that avenue. While he could just rob them, Erica would absolutely fry him for committing such a heinous act. That, and it would absolutely wreck the image that he had taken so long to rebuild after the last mess that had occurred to wreck it.

"Then what do you suggest then? I'm all ears for whatever harebrained scheme you have to get me through." Shoutmon announced and the fan brought a hand to their chin. Taking a moment to think over the request that had just been made to them, what other way could this idiot get without creating a fuss and/or getting him kicked out of the concert. What could work here? Drawing a blank here, that only left one option. Sadly, it was looking far more likely that they were going to need to slip Shoutmon through was the plushie option. Just their shitty luck. The last thing they needed was someone thinking they were a child who was sneaking out to go see a rock show. Bending down, they carefully scoop Shoutmon up.

"Are you better now, your highness?" they announced and got a chuckle from their passenger. At least they liked that joke. Lighter than expected, that didn't make Shoutmon any less cumbersome to hold against their chest.

"Yes." Shoutmon muttered as he held on with all his might. Good thing he hadn't forgotten to get his workout in before being whisked back to the Real World. After this, the rocker digimon would take a seat and listen to the latest top tracks. That would provide the perfect view of where the music world was going. If nothing else, it would serve as the perfect inspiration to get his creative mind coming up with cool concepts that this world had never seen before. Or, never replicated before this point. Pushing that thought away for now, he took care to not rub up against any of the people. That would absolutely give him away. Didn't make for an easy task, either. But it would be worth it once they were inside. Forcing his gaze ahead, the line was actually moving quite fast here. A far cry from the shows in the Digital World. You could be waiting upwards of days to get into the venue. Of course, you were also getting fed, hydrated and there were always more than enough beds to take a nap while still keeping your spot. Nice as that was, this kind of line had its own kind of charm. Especially as they reached the spot where one's tickets were checked.

"Tickets, please." the person announced and the fan pulled their ticket out. Presenting it to the person in front of them, they were met with a nod. Stepping out of the way, the fan wasted little time in making his entrance. Inside, scarlet carpets and birch walls served to funnel people into the entrance area. Here, the members of Fear the Marching Fishes were loitering about. Gomamon sat at Theodore's feet, gaze already on Shoutmon.

"Hey, Finn." Theodore announced as Finn set Shoutmon down. Giving a wave, a woman walked up from behind. Dressed in a black leather top with matching pants. Platform boots snaked up her feet, complemented by what looked to be spiky locks of hot pink hair. "Is this one yours, Erica?"

Erica nodded and took a moment to scoop Shoutmon up. Pulling him in for a hug, the rocker digimon did his best to accept the gesture. Then it's back over to Finn.

"I trust that he wasn't a complete jerk to you, love?" Erica inquired and Shoutmon froze. Met with a chuckle from Finn, he got a wink right after.