This honestly, is a personal chapter that wasn't originally attached to the first one. But if you like it, or hate it, don't hesitate to review.
Reality Relapse?
The sun glowed peacefully through the curtains. It's light warming anything it touched…Takato was glad it didn't glare to his eye, he hated waking up by something other than himself. Be it a voice, or footsteps, everything seemed to grow ten times louder in the morning. And today, it was the chirping from a bird.
Only half conscious, he slowly made his way down the ladder of his bed. But as he went down, his knee buckled under him. Making him fall and slam his back against the floor. Honestly he felt kind of comfortable, lying there in the sun with his leg stuck in the ladder. The only problem was, the sun would burn his eyes if he opened them. So calmly, with eyes closed, he rested in the middle of his room. The bird had stopped singing, but it didn't matter because his mother's voice took control.
"Takato! What are you doing up there!! All those noises better mean you're dressing up or else I'm going to g-" Too late. He fell asleep again.
~*~
"Hey sleepy dwarf." Hirokazu dug his knuckles into Takato's head.
"Cut it out!!" he snapped, growling. Weird, how it came out, like…
"Well, aren't you just a freshly picked daisy…" Hirokazu exaggerated as he turned to look out the window. A new school year has started, and they were together again. "C'mon Kenta, Let's go sit over there since Mr. Moody here can't stand a little fun."
Together they walked closer to the front of the room, joining the other kids as they talked of the newest fad… Takato didn't bother going. He felt that, maybe it was good to stay away for a while, especially since he 'spazzed' at Hirokazu. Who knows what could trigger it again?
Quietly time passed and soon the first bell rang. At once, everyone made for their seats and greeted their teacher traditionally. The minutes passed on droningly… 'Why is this so boring??' his thoughts complained. His eyes lazily gazed around the room, stopping from one person to another. As if on purpose they landed on Juri, and upon looking at her, he felt his body warm just a bit.
'Juri…' his thoughts roamed. Soon, soon he would tell her how he felt. This time she would hear because this time there's no D-reaper in the way… 'I just don't now how…' He looked down as his thoughts wondered how to tell her… Looking back at him was a picture of Guilmon and Culumon. Both had smiles of pure joy, just as they would have looked if they were getting a big basket of pastries. 'If life was only as simple as eating and sleeping…'
"You look kind of bummed out…" Jen's voice reached out to him as Takato sat against the boundary wall.
"…Sort of…" He continued to scribble on his sketchpad, hearing Jen's clothes ruffle as he leaned beside him.
"Do you want to talk, about it?" he asked. But Takato remained silent for a few moments. Jen almost doubted if he said it out loud, until Takato stood up and asked something he'd never expect.
"Jen? If you're going to help me…You can't say a word of this to anyone. Okay?" Takato said quietly, watching ahead for anyone coming suspiciously too close.
"Sure, if I can help."
"I like Juri." He closed his eyes and waited for a moment before continuing. With Jen remaining silent he continued, "I…just don't now how to tell her…"
Inside Jen was laughing, 'He's asking me of all people? I'm just as much as a novice as he is…' The most he knew of romance was the hidden stuff in his comic books and from the teen shows he'd glance at as his sister was watching. But he had to try, his friend asked for help and he was expecting an answer...So his best idea was… "Why don't you just write it all in a letter. At least then you won't embarrass yourself in front of her."
'That doesn't seem so bad. For sure I won't get all nervous like last time.' Takato said to himself as he thought about Jen's advice. Contented with the answer, he waved a 'thanks' and ran off with a big smile on his face. He never seems to realize how much his emotions are like a roller coaster. Oh well, he was happy. That's all that matters isn't it? Who needs control?
~*~
Her body rested on the floor as the minutes passed by. 'It's so boring!!!' She nagged as she stretched out and closed her eyes. 'Card battling isn't the same as being in the fight…' It was true. Nothing can give you a better rush then being so close to death. Be it someone else's life or your very own. But it wasn't like she was looking for trouble. No, she wasn't stupid… 'Like before…'
Her consciousness felt like it was drugged as she slowly started to fall asleep. Her breathing grew slow and relaxed, but luckily not deep enough to ignore the footsteps approaching her room. She called out, "Grandma?"
No response came from beyond the doors. 'Weird' She thought as she opened her eyes to find that there was no shadow along the floor. The footsteps stopped moving too… She waited a few moments just to hear if the person would start walking again, but nothing came. Now she was annoyed. Pushing herself up and lazily making her way towards the door, she thought, 'I bet its mom trying to surprise me with another of her stupid "fashionable" dresses.' At the door she hesitated, but brushed it off by swiftly opening the doors, and there she found…
'What the!?!' In front of her stood… nothing. 'They can't have gone far' she thought, taking in the fact that if they did run, she would have heard them. 'They have to be around her somewhere' Just as she was about to go and search, her grandmother called out.
"Ruki? Were you calling me?"
"No, I was jus-!!" It was then that she heard a rustling and a stomp from behind the fence. Whoever it was, had just jumped over and left without her being able to teach it a lesson. Her anger rose, but it couldn't let it get to her. She had to save it for whoever it was who dared to disturb her privacy. "Freak…"
"Just what Honey?" Her grandmother yelled.
"Nothing!" With a huff she turned and went back into her room. Leaving just a little crack to see anything that would decide to pass by. 'No one ever fools me twice.'
~*~
"I've been meaning to tell you this for a very long time…No, too simple," Takato crumpled up the new stationary he had just bought. It was all bright colored and filled with flowers. It even had a little saying written in English that even he, nor a English person would understand… Taking another sheet he started again.
"Hey Juri! I finally found time to tell you, instead of telling that D-reaper clone…Naw, this makes me sound stupid…" Again he crumpled up another paper and threw it in the trash. It was beginning to pile up. 'Gosh. At this rate I won't have any paper left…' he counted the rest and found that of the twenty pieces of paper…only seven were left. "Let's try again…"
"AH! I'm just not getting anywhere!" he conveyed to himself and the little Agumon toy that looked back at him. Thirty minutes have passed and five more pieces of paper were thrown into the garbage. He was just about to ask help from his parents but hated to be the center of attention tomorrow to all the customers. Phoning Jen failed when his little sister answered by screaming, "Angry kid!!" and abruptly hanged up the phone. Since then no one answered…
He went through down the line to figure out who could help him… "Obviously not Hirokazu… Kenta? Nope, this isn't his department…Man! There's like no one!!!"
Then he remembered, 'Wait, I can't ask her…Besides, I'm not that desperate…' He looked down to the rest of the stationary. There were only two papers left…Taking a glance at his clock, six thirty… "…I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I stopped by…"
~*~
Ruki was contemplating if she should change into her pajamas when she heard footsteps walking towards her door. They weren't as faint as before but this didn't stop her from staying alert. She could see the shadow now and soon the figure would be right in front of her door. 'Now's my chance to surprise him!' Quickly she jumped from her futon and opened the sliding doors. She yelled, never would she have expected to be whacked in the face by a sticky bun.
They flew everywhere! Propelled like cannonballs and falling to the ground. Not one was left in the basket that was resting on Takato's stomach, who had collapsed on his butt. He was still fazed by the initial shock but Ruki had recovered quickly. As if my reflex she picked him up by the collar and yelled, "What in the world are you doing here?! And what's with all this bread!?!?"
"I-I need your help! And I thought you would like some bread 'cause your Grandma asked me to bring som-!!" he stopped as he felt his collar loosen along with her grip. He got up and started dusting himself off as she began to walk away into her room. Just as he was about to follow, she commanded him to pick up all the bread from the ground. And without hesitation, he obeyed.
Setting the basket of bread beside her clothing rack, he sat across from her, beside her pillow. He could tell by her face that he came or at least entered the wrong way. It wasn't his fault that she freaked him out like hell!!
'Just don't make it worse then they'll be a chance she'll help you…Just don't make it wors-!' His train of thought was broken.
"So…What!?" she growled.
"Ah!!" he gasped. No matter how long he's known her, she always has that way to strike a fear into him. Well, into anyone for that matter. He was so scared that he almost forgot the plan to persuade her to help him. Like in rehearsal, he moved his head down a little, and began, "I-I need your help and I think you're the best person for the job…"
'What a way to get on my good side,' she laughed as she watched Takato sheepishly bow before her.
"I want to write a letter but I'm stuck on what to say…"
"Who's it too?" In the back of her mind she knew who it was. All she wanted was for him to say it aloud.
"…Juri…" it was hard for him to convey this to her, but he didn't know why. Could it be for fear of embarrassment? Or could it be that she could use this to blackmail him? No, she wasn't like that. She had her own ways to get what she wanted. "So will you help me?"
"…I don't think you've thought about this very much." She replied.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
'Oh jeez, how dumb can you get?' she rolled her eyes at him just before she turned to her deck of cards. She randomly pulled one out as she let her comment sink into his head. Falling from her fingers, the card wore a black suit. Club.
"Ruki! Please!" he almost pleaded.
"Takato! Do I look like the kind of girl to help you with your love life?!!" The words smacked him in the face. His last resort was futile. In a way it left his body to shiver, almost like he was completely alone. Another card fell as he tried to hold back a tear... Diamond.
"I see…" unwillingly a bit of anger started to grow. He looked down to the card that lay in front of him. Diamonds are the hardest things in the world, but then why are they always shaped like teardrops? Again she dealed another card. It was a Spade. He started again but this time his voice was uncomfortably low, "I guess, you're not the kind of friend I can rely on…"
She sighed a little as she pulled out another card. Spade. Even though her anger was reaching greater heights, she still had control over it. But that was only because she was saving it up for her stalker, not for Takato's sake. She breathed in and spoke very calmly. "Look Takato, why don't you just hang around her a little more, then maybe you'll have the answers you shouldn't expect from friends…"
She was right again. And with what she said, it seemed like Jen wasn't really the smart one in the group. In a flash, his "frown turned upside down", back from a crazy ride on the roller coaster of life. He laughed out load, almost drowning out the sound of weight pressing against the panels of wood outside the door.
"HEY!" Ruki yelled. Swiftly she jumped past the surprised Takato and ripped open the doors. The figure was just a few feet to the fence and by the time she got to the water the person had already jumped and ran off. "Ugh!! I can't believe it happened again!!"
"Ruki! I think he left you something!" She turned around and there she found Takato pick something up off the floor. "It's a letter!"
"Great…" as she made her way over to him he already began to tear away at the envelope. Standing on front of him, he read aloud.
Your spirit is mesmerizing
Your eyes are hypnotizing
I don't care if I'll get hurt…Someday you will respect me…
"Whoa! You have a stalker!" Despite the serious tone of the poem, Takato just couldn't help but laugh.
"Shut up!" He had gotten near her room twice and now he was leaving letters that could mean anything…
"No! Takato rebelled.
"What?!" He had stepped over the line completely, but with a glare directly aimed at him he was back in place. Deep inside, Takato still couldn't stop the shivers down his spine. She smiled at his scared/guilty expression. "Yeah, thought so…"
Instead of saying anything back, he handed her the letter and continued to keep his gaze to the ground, for fear of making her more mad. To him, no matter what he did he'd make it worse. If he's lucky, he might just survive.
After a few seconds of the uncomfortable silence, Ruki left Takato to throw the letter into her garbage. Looking down, she found all of her cards scattered along the floor when she had jumped to catch her stalker. Bending down, she picked one up and glanced briefly before she spoke, "Now do you understand why you should know how you feel before writing certain types of letters?"
He stood quietly as he tried to understand what she said. 'Does she mean that I don't know what I want? Or that I might seem like a stalker if I write to Juri?' He questioned as many meanings he could think of until Ruki decided to continue.
"…Words can be interpreted into so many things…" Ruki spoke calmly but with a hint of contempt. She stared at the card as she whispered, "…like a double-edged sword…"
"Huh?" was all Takato could ask before she threw the card at him and closed the doors of her room. Nothing but a sliding door separated them, but it didn't matter, he had gotten the advice he was looking for. Just as he was about to leave, he looked at the card that she threw at him. Jagged blue pen marks ran along the one heart that lay in the very center. He laughed, '…That girl.'
~*~
"Check this out amateurs!" Hirokazu called, demanding attention. Starting off with a hop, he bounded forward, sprinting then performing the triple jump action. A puff of sand blinded him but he knew that his landing was perfect. "So what's my distance?"
"Doesn't matter. You stepped over the line." Kenta fixed his glasses, appearing as if he knew exactly what he was doing. In the tone of his voice it seemed like Kenta was bothered by something…
"What's stuck up your butt???" Annoyed, Hirokazu left him, making his way over to Juri. She was giggling with her friends before she noticed him coming. Wanting to impress her, he straitened up his posture, and asked "Did you see that? It was perfect!"
"WOO HOO!!" Takato yelled, feeling the rush of air and sand go by him. With a stomp he landed and asked. "So how'd I do???"
"…Stupid…" Kenta muttered as he saw Hirokazu strut and make an idiot of himself to Juri. Takato turned to face what he was looking at and felt a little confused by his behavior. 'Does he like Juri too?'
"Kenta? Hey?" Takato moved his hand down to wave in front of Kenta's eyes, but it still didn't break his gaze. He watched as his eyes followed Hirokazu… who began walking away from Juri. "Dude! What's up with you!?"
"AH! Sorry!" Kenta jumped as he snapped back into reality. He quickly measured the distance and recorded it into the clipboard, all the while hoping that Takato hadn't seen what he was looking at. Wearing his fake smile…"Umm…you did pretty good! Second highest!"
Takato ran off, deciding no to dwell on the weird moment and on what it could mean… He smirked, 'I knew it…'
"How'd you do Takato?" Juri asked as he walked by her. His body froze, hearing her voice call out. He laughed a little uncomfortably when he felt her gaze land on him.
"Ah haha…Second, just a bit under Kouji's mark." He replied, scratching the back of his head. 'Now or never,' he thought. Finally, he asked, "Say Juri, do you want to hang out after school?"
"Hmm…sure I guess.." She brightened up when a thought came into her head. "Let's card battle! I've been meaning to test my skills on somebody."
"Oh…okay" he nodded. Accepting the offer that wasn't quite what he had in mind. Fighting against Ruki's pupil almost guarantees losing a couple cards… 'I hope this is worth it…'
~*~
Cars zoomed by her as she walked home, leaving nothing but dust behind them. Looking as they passed she thought, 'I can't wait to get a motorcycle…'
The spring sun hummed down, giving the world a soft touch of warmth to brighten the spirits of everyone. She could here women laughing as she entered the living room. They sat, eating pastries and tea. Her grandma and, her mother…
"Welcome home Ruki!" She smiled while taking a bite out of egg tart. "You should really thank your friend for bringing us all these treats!"
"Uh, sure…" Ruki replied softly.
"Oh here dear! There's a package for you!" Her grandmother announced as she lifted the little wrapped gift. Ruki moved closer to examine the parcel. It was a small thing, wrapped in blue paper with a silver bow to grace the top. No card was attached to it. "I found in the mailbox today."
"Looks like my daughter's finally rounding up some-"
"Mom, don't." She commanded, stopping her mother from going into a fit of giggles. She examined it a little longer before deciding what to do with it. "It's probably a bomb or something. There's no point to-"
"Oh no you don't!" Swiftly her mother grabbed the package and began to tear it open. Just as Ruki was out of the room her mother squealed in delight. "Oh my! Look honey! It's Renamon!"
"WHAT!?" quickly she turned around to find, grasped in her mother's hand was a toy plushy, seemingly made to look like Renamon… Well at least, in a cuter version. Ruki studied it as her mother continued to squish it and hug it, commenting on how 'tini-weenie' it was and how cute it sounded when it squeaked. Annoyed on the stalker's new attempt to woo her…she complained, "It doesn't even have any claws."
~*~
"NOOO!!" Takato said, realizing that for the forth time he had lost to Juri. She smiled while receiving her newly earned spoils. 'If she wins any more then I won't have a deck to play with!' he yelled at himself for not paying attention to the game, but instead, obsessively watching her frequently changing expressions. He noticed, that just before she would hit him with a finishing blow, she would give him the most evil smirk that would send his emotions on high. Subconsciously he craved to see it again…
"Looks like your not much competition." She said as she started to gather up her cards to leave.
"Hey wait!" reaching out his arm to try to stop her, he pleaded, "Don't leave me hanging here! One more match?"
"I…really have to go Takato…" Her eyes moved from side to side, obviously nervous to his sudden attempt to make her stay…She started turning to leave.
"Juri! There's something I have to tell you…" he blurted out, stopping her completely. Arguing against Ruki's advice, 'I can't wait any longer. Besides I know exactly how I feel!'
'Then why is it so hard to say?'
~*~
"I don't know why you brought that with you…" She commented as her mother smiled down to her. "And I don't know why you dragged me with you either.."
"Oh Ruki…You're growing up so quickly. I can't let you go around playing if your clothes can't keep up with you." She pinched her daughter's cheek fast enough before she could pull away. She smiled and then patted the little Renamon plushy whose face was propped up outside of her purse. "And I can't let you go around throwing gifts away in the garbage…"
"I should burn it then…Who knows, it might have anthrax on it…" She glanced at it, vowing to kill the stalker who dared to tease her with memories of Renamon.
"I'll always wonder where you learned to think like that…" Her mother sighed, realizing how much her daughter has matured all by herself.
'That's what happens when you're on your own…' She thought as she gracefully put on her purple sunglasses.
"How about this?" Her mother asked, holding up a pair of jeans with embroidered flowers along the left leg…
"You really don't know my style do you?" Ruki said, slightly offended to being forced to look at something so…childish. She was even more disgusted to see the matching shirt. Printed bee's on a pale pink T-shirt. "Mom, I like anything but that…"
"Well then how about this?" This time she pulled out a long sleeve shirt, and from the left shoulder grew a print of blue flames, spreading out to cover almost half of the shirt. It even had a little turtleneck.
She raised her eyebrows a little when she saw it… "Hmm…Almost."
"What kind would you like?" she asked her daughter who sat quietly on the bench. They've been shopping for an hour and it was a deal that if she didn't complain anymore, then they would leave right after eating some sherbet. The Model couldn't afford to eat anything more fattening….
"…Lychee," Ruki said quietly, bored out of her mind.
"Okay, you wait here, and don't you leave the bags unattended!" She commanded while moving toward the little shop.
Ruki grumbled but stayed there none the less. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes in an attempt to try to relax. But with the little Renamon looking back at her, all she could do was be reminded of her stalker. Shoving it in the bag she returned to trying to relax.
"Looks like you don't like my gift…" Looking up she found Ryo standing just a few meters in front of her. Uncontrollably anger flooded out, "YOU!"
"It cost a lot you know, I actually had to get that customarily made to be that small." He smirked at his own brilliance… He stood, so calm and feeling triumphant…Her knuckles yearned to smash his face in.
"Keep smiling you as--"
"Ruki!" Her mother called out, having trouble holding the two cups of sherbet and a bucket more to take home. "Help me out here!"
"Oh Mom…" in her peripheral vision she could see Ryo run off, and decided to leave him be for now, since her mother was about to drop everything.
"Who was that?" Her mother asked while warming up her hands. But before she could answer something pelted her in the head.
"Wha?!" Rubbing her head she turned to look at what was thrown at her. There, sat a little piece of crumpled up paper that her mother picked up and began to open. She asked what it said.
"It says for you meet him at Shinjuku Park tomorrow after school…Who is he anyway?"
"He was the other boy that fought with me, Takato and Jen."
"Oh! That cute young man?"
"After I'm through with him you won't think he's cute anymore…" she spoke it as if it was a promise.
"Oh dear…"
~*~
Squeezing his fists and closing his eyes, he concentrated his hardest on putting all of his thoughts together. It took him three minutes before he could come up with something sensible. "Juri, I…I've been keeping this in for a while…I just was waiting around for the right moment to say it, and for you to recover over Leomon…I'm really sorry I couldn't save him Juri…I'd give anything to bring him back…"
"Don't be Takato…That's over and done now, and we can't keep wishing it didn't happen, because it did…" Her eyes started to get a little misty over the thought of Leomon.
"I can't help thinking that it was my fault, that's why I can't say how I feel about you… No one likes people that hurt them…" He trembled inside finally seeing why he was holding back all this time.
"Takato…" she was surprised to find him still feeling this way toward her. "You never hurt me…but, I can't feel what you want me to feel…because sometimes when I see you, I see that part of you that made Guilmon turn into that monster… And it was me that woke that up in you…"
"Juri…" he said, trying to stop her from continuing. He wasn't ready to hear what she had to say next.
"I like you as a friend…and only that. Because it scares me that you could lash out on someone on my behalf. I don't want anyone hurt anymore…"
"But I've changed!"
"Are you sure? I saw you when Hirokazu tried talking to me… You looked like you were going to kill him if he even just breathed on me…" Looking back on it now, Takato realized what she had seen in him that he was blind to… "You see? Even if I do like you, you'd treat me like a bird in a cage. I'm not like that Takato, you can't control me, you can't tame a lion…"
Takato broke down inside as she left him. All questions were answered, and there was nothing more.
~*~
"I wonder how Takato is doing…" Jen thought, reflecting on the day that he asked him for help. Since then he hasn't seen him at all.
"Jenrya!" his mother called.
"Yeah mom?!"
"Someone's on the phone for you!"
"Okay!" Stepping over his sister's Terriormon toy, which soon turned into Lopmon, he made his way over to the hallway phone.
"Hello?"
"Jen!" on the other end spoke Ruki. "I've been trying to contact Takato but the stupid guy doesn't want to pick up!"
"Really? That's weird."
"Look, since he's not around, could you help me out with this?"
"Uh…with what?" 'Why is everyone asking me for help now a days?
"Just go to the park and I'll tell you then. Be quick!"
"…Okay?" she hung up; leaving him more confused then ever.
~*~
Takato walked as his thoughts clashed into his head. 'She doesn't like you…She'd never like you…Not when you're like this…Your so imperfect…Maybe if I was perfect?' He asked himself, "Would she like me then?"
He shoved his hands in his pockets but as he did he cut himself with the card that lay inside. He moved his hand to his mouth in an attempt to control the pain while his other hand pulled out the card. It was the ace of hearts all dressed in zigzag line of blue.
Quickly he started to run to her house.
"Oh hello…" Takato was greeted by her mother.
"Is Ruki home?" He asked, blushing as he talked to the famous model.
"I'm sorry, but she went to meet one of your other friends. I'm not sure what his name was but he was very tan and had thick brown hair…"
"She went to see Ryo?" Takato was slightly puzzled to hear this kind of information.
"Yes, but I think for more destructive reasons…" Waving at him, she invited him to follow her into the living room. Politely he made his way inside and took a seat in the nearest chair. There he found a little Renamon doll that looked like it was getting a new set of claws. "I think it was because of this that she went out to find that boy."
"…Maybe she didn't like someone to try to replace something that meant so much." He thought of Guilmon as he said this…
"Yes maybe…" He continued to watch Ms. Makino sew on the last claw when she asked. "…So what made you come to see my daughter?"
He spoke, ignoring the smirk that hinted on something completely different. "I was going to ask her about something…"
"Oh…" She felt a pang of empathy at seeing his troubled expression. "Well, when you go to the park, don't forget to give her this."
She handed him the finished Renamon doll as she started to push him out the door. "Hurry hurry! Before she leaves the park!"
"Huh?!" She shut the door behind him, leaving him to stand there completely perplexed. 'What's with this family being in a rush all the time?'
~*~
"I'd never think you'd need help with something…" Jen joked.
"Shut up." She snapped. He anger was flowing at full force now, and she could tell that Jen was starting to get a little nervous to be near such a strong amount if aura. "No matter what, you don't leave. Got it?"
"Okay," from his side he could feel a presence coming and soon enough, it appeared.
"It's not like you to bring someone else into you own business." Ryo pointed out. Upon seeing him Jen felt something different with his behavior. There was no 'no problem' smirk that he always wore.
"Just pretend he's not here…" she spoke with her guard on, pulling out her old style attitude. "So what's the big idea with you snooping around my neighborhood?"
"It's a free world isn't it?" he gave a shrug to appear unfazed. "And it's okay to personally deliver letters and parcels too…So did you like it??"
"You're pathetic…" she muttered.
He sighed, "Whatever I do never seems to get me on your good side…"
"That's my decision to make, and frankly, you don't deserve anything." She crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the ground. This petty talk was starting to annoy her.
"C'mon Ruki," he said as he started to walk towards her. "Don't push me out now. I really did mean well…"
She gave a huff, "Obsessive behavior isn't very attractive."
Takato stopped when he heard Ruki's voice. Running past a few trees he found Ruki and Ryo, standing a few feet apart, while Jen sat on the park bench, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but there.
With little Renamon placed in his hood, he leaned behind a tree to watch the conversation continue.
Ryo started to close the gap between them but stopped when she glared. "Did I ever tell you how much I love it when you look at me?"
"Love this!" With her right fist she made an attempt to hit his face but was stopped when Jen grabbed her arm.
"I don't know what this is, but could you please not resort to killing each other?" he asked Ruki while Ryo moved in a little closer.
"Yeah Ruki…" He put his hand on her shoulder. "There are other ways to express feelings…"
She snapped. Kicking so fast that even Jen couldn't follow, she hit Ryo below the belt, and with the amount of anger built up…He got the full impact at every part…Ryo collapsed, not even able to moan out in pain. She pushed him with her foot so that he faced her as she vented out her anger with words. Takato and Jen stood quietly at the sidelines.
"It's about time you got off your high horse. You think your so perfect and strong surviving in the digital world alone, with that legendary tamer title to back it up. Well you know what buddy? When you're at the top the only place to go is down…"
Takato watched her kick him again to make sure he was listening. Honestly it didn't look like it, but she continued any ways and Takato listened all the more to her next part.
"I'll never respect you. You know why? Because I hate people who aren't true to themselves! You make everyone believe that you're this 'hero' that has no problem at all. But really you're this obsessive stalker that keeps trying to reach an unrealistic dream! You are the type that deny ones problems instead of dealing with it and changing!"
Jen watched her tremble a bit as she continued, "It's going to bite you in the ass, and you know how I know? Because I almost let it get me… No one is perfect, accept it…Do you know why you should? Because if we become perfect, then we'd all be like Satan…"
She kneeled so that she could say the next words directly in his ears. "And as for loving these eyes…That's the worst move you ever made…"
Takato jogged toward Jen as Ruki started to walk away. Once there he saw Jen sort of shake… "Hey? You okay?"
"Did you see when she kicked him?" He looked at Takato with his wide eyes… "If I was just a bit closer… I would be on the ground right there beside Ryo!"
"And crying too…" Takato commented as he watched Ryo rub his eyes and sniffle a bit. "You help him out okay?"
"Yeah… Hey, where are you going?" Jen asked while bending down to try to help Ryo up.
"I need to ask Ruki a few things…" He left, following Ruki into the distance.
~*~
"Ruki! Ruki wait up!" he called. Turning at the call of her name she saw Takato running towards her. He breathed heavily when he finally reached her. "Looks like he got what he deserved. After that I'm sure he won't be able to breed…"
"Yeah, hopefully…" they laughed together at the pain of someone else. "So where were you all this time?"
"Looking for you, your mom wanted me to send you this." From his hood he pulled out the little Renamon with her newly attached claws. "Your mom's good at sewing."
"I never knew she could." She was amazed to find that her mother was trying to finally have a positive impact on her life. She handed it back to him. "Keep it for now. Think of it as collateral until I finally get around to giving back your wrist band."
"Alrighty" he shrugged as he put little Renamon back in his hood. They walked together for a moment before he asked. "So why was Jen there?"
"Oh, I needed him as a witness." She replied.
"For what?"
"So that the world has proof that the legendary tamer was beaten by a girl." She smirked at him. He was surprised to find an evil touch to it.
He shook his head in disagreement but gave a smile at the same time. "You never change…"
"Hey… No one's perfect."
*smiles* Like it? And no, I don't hate Ryo. In fact I respect him as much as I respect any other character on Tamers. I'm a little annoyed by this but in some way I still like the chapter. Maybe I'll revise it when I have time. Yes, there are still loose ends to this story so I may continue it…Yeah, most likely.
