"Wait, the fic has not been abandoned?". Never has been.
Life has been pretty hectic and busy and I really had big issues with filling this chapter in a way that it felt right while also putting in the things I wanted to put in. Got my act together, though and managed to power through.
Without further ado, here's chapter 14. There's really not much more worth saying, really.
Chapter 14: A Tamer's Gathering - The Search for Dorumon
"Ruki," her grandma called out, knocking on her door before entering. Better be safe than sorry. "There's a boy outside asking for you. I invited him inside but he didn't want to. He said something urgent was going on. He seemed panicked. The poor boy..."
"Hm?" Ruki put her pen down, staring up at her grandmother with a raised eyebrow. Panicked? Takato, perhaps? No, her grandma knew Takato. "I'll go and check. It better not be another creep that comes to confess or something."
"It's the boy that introduced himself when he moved in but you weren't here at the time," her grandmother answered. "The cake he made was really good. Your mother said he'd make a good model because of his eyes and eyelashes."
Ruki's face twisted into a disgusted expression as she began to growl. "What could be so urgent that he of all people would come to my house at a time like this?"
Stomping through her house to see what the big idea was, once she opened the frontdoor she was met by what could very well be a drenched cat. His clothes clung to his body like a wetsuit, while the rain had caused his hair to fall and if Ruki didn't know any better, she wouldn't have recognized him straight away. His expression was a mix of serious, concerned and angry, while his eyes hollowly stared at nothing in particular while he waited. Hearing a noise, the blond immediately turned his head, looking a bit more relieved upon noticing Ruki.
"What are you do-" The girl didn't finish her sentence, since, much to her own surprise, Ryuuji immediately fell to his knees, placing his forehead on the ground, almost as if to beg for forgiveness for an hour. Ruki's eyebrows shot up, having completely lost the plot. "What happened to not bowing to anyone?"
"It's Dorumon," he began, not looking up. "He got abducted and they took my Digivice so I can't track him down. Noir hasn't seen him either. I need your help."
"Someone took Dorumon?" The redhead repeated. "Who did?"
"I don't know," he answered, continuing to speak without looking up. "I know you don't like me. And I can't blame you. But please, help me find him. For him. I don't care if you don't do it for me, please do it for him. That's all I ask. If it's for his sake, I'll beg until my voice gives out."
Ruki stared at the boy without a word. He continued to stay in place on the muddied ground, getting soaked by the rain (for as far as he wasn't already) while desperately pleading. Was this even the same boy she knew? "Get up, Lashes. You're creeping me out."
His head rose to look up at her, his eyes confirming what his words indicated: he really was desperate. He then got up, continuing to stare at her without faltering. "Please, Ru-"
The girl had already turned, making her way inside. "I'll be out in a second. I'm going to get an umbrella and a jacket!"
Ryuuji's surprise slipped out slightly, but he nodded to no one in particular anyways. Not long after, true to her word, Ruki came out, joined by Renamon, holding an umbrella in hand. She threw him one that he catched without issue, staring at it for a second.
"Relax, it's an umbrella. You know what it does, right?" she quipped, opening her own. "I didn't rig it or anything. I don't know how long you've been running around in the rain like this but anymore than this and you won't be able to look for him for a while."
The blond silently opened the umbrella, holding it above his head. While it did not have much point anymore, at least it was better than to continue getting soaked. "Yeah, you're right. Thank you, Ruki."
"Now get yourself together," she ordered, walking past him. "You look like a mess."
"What's that supposed to mean?" he wondered, staring at Renamon.
"She means well," the kitsune responded. "You must be strong or else the search for Dorumon will be a long one."
Ryuuji nodded. "Sorry to call upon you for help like this at a time like this, but I can't do much on my own, as much I hate it."
"Yer not even on yer own, Jijicchi!" Sistermon shouted, glaring at him as she ran over. She leaned over, panting heavily before getting up and wacking him in the head. "Yer idiot! Could 'ave waited for me, now I had to chase after yer!"
While he usually wouldn't, he'd let it slide for now. "Sorry, Noir. I want to find him as fast as possible. We can talk later."
"Did you contact Takato and Jen already?" Ruki asked, getting a shaking head from the boy, prompting her to take out her cellphone, not giving him a chance to explain why. "Then I'll do that. Lead us to where he was taken."
Taking the lead, Ryuuji tried to not run off, but still kept his pace high as they walked to the spot in particular. Keeping his eyes on his surroundings, he hoped that the principle of 'the culprits always return to the scene of the crime' would ring true. Not for revenge (also for revenge, just not the main priority) but just to learn where they took Dorumon and why.
"Do yer know who it was, Jijicchi?"
"I only saw it quickly before it knocked me out," he answered. "They wore a mask, had some thorns for hair and I can't really say much more because by then it had already knocked me out."
He then turned to Renamon, who glanced back at him. "So I'm glad we got Renamon here. Should they return, Renamon can stop them."
"Heh," Noir went. "Yer have an awful lot of confidence in a Digimon that's not yers, Jijicchi. Where's that confidence of yers in me, huh? Yer doin' this to purposefully wound poor lil' Noir-oneesan's heart?"
Ryuuji glared at her, causing her to back off. Now wasn't the time, but can't fault a Digimon for trying to ease a man up a bit.
"Takato and Jen are on their way," Ruki butted in. "Takato said he'd get Kenta and Hirokazu to help."
Sistermon grinned. "That's great! Isn't it, Jijicchi?"
Looking at her, the blond nodded. "Yeah." He then bowed again, expressing his gratitude. "Thank you, Ruki."
The girl waved it off as nothing, but couldn't help feeling uneasy at how much of a... not pain in the ass he was being right now? "Let's hurry before it becomes too dark to properly see or the weather gets even worse. There's already no guarantee we'll find him now, let alone if this gets worse."
Nodding, Ryuuji turned on his heel, closing the umbrella and throwing it to Sistermon. The Digimon caught it, opening it herself, holding it over her head in satisfaction as the rain stopped falling on her. "Sorry for this but I'm about to run there to not lose to much time. Give a shout if you can't keep up and I'll slow down a bit."
"Can't keep up?" Ruki asked, raising her eyebrows. "We're not that slow, you know?"
Sistermon awkwardly laughed. "Yer'll be surprised how fast he is."
"I'll carry you, Ruki," Renamon spoke, immediately sweeping Ruki up as Sistermon stared at the kitsune while pointing at herself, wondering if Renamon could take her along too.
Noticing Ruki and Renamon were taken care of, Ryuuji broke out in a sprint, with Renamon vanishing and following him from somewhere Sistermon couldn't immediately spot, leaving her by herself.
Eye twitching slightly, Sistermon throw the umbrella to the ground in frustration, filling the air with her own anger before following as fast as she could. With the umbrella.
"Jijicchiiiiiiiiii, not again! Gimme a break already!"
Kamishiro said nothing as he noticed water dripping on his carpet. It couldn't be helped with the fur that held it but still. He liked to keep everything as squeeky clean as possible while keeping it in the best possible condition. This would take him time and work to get it dried up and maintain the quality.
"Must this really be done over my carpet?" Kamishiro wondered. "Ajatarmon."
Ajatarmon put the purple beast on the ground without a word, bound to leave another big mark on the carpet. Kamishiro said nothing, instead staring at the beast instead. At a loss for words, he noticed his breath had been taken away, a twinkle forming in his eye as he forgot about the water that was being brought in by the Digimon.
"So this is you..." he began, unable to believe it. "You are real, Dorumon. You are actually real." He chuckled lightly, completely forgetting Ajatarmon's presence. Extending a hand to try and get a feel of the fur, Kamishiro managed to stop himself at the final second, shaking his head. "Not yet. Not now."
The bespectacled man turned to Ajatarmon, who stood in the room silently, not really sure on what to do next. "What did you do to the boy? I presume you kept him alive and well?"
Ajatarmon nodded, but did not come without any additional info. "He did catch a glimpse of me." Kamishiro's eyebrows rose up, eyes narrowing lightly. "I managed to knock him out instantly. He could not have followed me." Ajatarmon's vines then extended, the knot tied at the end of it unraveling to reveal a device attached to a black strap, the screen adorned by a black circle around it. "This is what you needed as well."
Kamishiro took the device without a word, pushing his glasses further up his nose. He held it up in the air, shifting it around lightly to see it in a better light. Upon first sight, the device didn't seem all that spectacular, however... "All the more reason to get to work fast..."
Ajatarmon's eyes didn't follow him or stared at anything in particular. It was not his job to ask questions or to pry. He was simply to execute the orders given to him. Even more now it seemed Kamishiro was closer to his higher-ups than he expected. The icy coolness with which he operated indicated no fear. And everyone worked for him under that tinge of fear, on top of their own desires.
"You're dismissed, Ajatarmon." Kamishiro didn't even give him a look or an expression of gratitude, already being in the process of going elsewhere. "Stay on standbye and I'll call upon you when needed again."
With nothing more than a nod, Ajatarmon disappeared, leaving Kamishiro on his own with no one to disturb him. He glanced at Dorumon once more, reaching out to him. The fur felt softer than he had imagined, even after the water had made its temporary home there. "Natural? Or perhaps someone has been taking good care of it?" He then ran his hand through to pet him, the soft sensation of his hand being hugged by the soft fur running through his body. "It's really you. You are real, after all..."
Kamishiro smiled, looked up to the ceiling before laughing in delight. He could feel tears form in the corner of his eyes. Was it happiness? Sadness? A mix of both? Who knew at this point. Wiping the tears away with a handkerchief, Kamishiro put on his glasses, glasses twinkling as he pushed them up his nose.
"You are truly beyond my wildest dreams... My partner, Dorumon."
Takato ran as fast as his legs could take him, umbrella protecting him from the rain. Guilmon followed, with nothing more than a giant leaf as his umbrella. The pools of water splashed up with every step set in it, soaking their feet and the lower parts of their legs. But for now, that was not important.
There were too many questions running through his mind. He had quickly uttered two when Ruki informed him, but he also knew time was of the essence and immediately took off. How long had it been? Do they have any traces? Where are they even right now? Takato turned a couple of more corners, finding Sistermon slumped over catching her breath, Hirokazu, Kenta, Juri, Jen, Ruki and Ryuuji. With the latter as only one being thoroughly soaked, it made Takato wonder how long it took before he got notified.
"Ah, everyone is already here, Takato!" Guilmon began. "Heh? Ryuuji is not here."
"I'm here, Guilmon." Guilmon turned to the boy, his hair drooping and his stare ice-cold.
"Ah! Your umbrella has holes in it, Ryuuji!" Guilmon noted as he was completely soaked, holding his leaf over the blond's head, assuming Ryuuji's current state meant the umbrella had holes in it at the top. "Here! If you get ill, Dorumon will be upset."
"You can find him, right, Guilmon."
"Hm?"
"With your sense of smell."
"Wait, wait," Takato interjected. "When did this happen? Who took him? How long have you been searching for?"
The blond turned away with a scoff, preparing to leave. "I appreciate you all came to help, but we already lost too much time waiting for everyone for me to even consider asking those question. Let's just spread out and look, Matsuda-kun. Noir, let's go."
Sistermon shot up, face in a mixture of shock and surprise. "Again!? For how long do yer plan to drag me around like this? I 'aven't even recovered from the previous two times!"
"Hold on, Ryuuji." The blond stopped to glance back at Jen, scowling at him. "It's no use to just run off like this without a plan. It's best if we split up and devise some sort of strategy."
The blond began walking again, Sistermon quickly following him to prevent being left behind. "I'm searching in this direction. I don't care what you decide for yourselves as long as we find Dorumon."
Before he could leave, Renamon appeared in front of him, much to his own dismay. Clicking his tongue, he hid his hands in his pockets, looking up to look Renamon in the eyes.
"Would it hurt you to listen for a small bit?" Ruki snarled. "You being difficult is only making this slower."
"Would it hurt you to just let me through?" Ryuuji countered in response. "You all got easy talking. All your partners are here and they can all either evolve to their strongest form or hold their own against strong enemies, while my partner got taken away by something of which there's no telling if he can fight it off should he even get the chance."
Hirokazu turned to Guardromon, who nodded at Hirokazu, having the same idea. "Then we'll come with you, Ryuuji! Guardromon and I may not be as strong as Takato, Jen or Ruki but if Sistermon comes along we'll be able to fight whoever comes our way!"
Sistermon's eyes lit up, looking at Guardromon with pleading eyes. "Can yer carry me around? I'm tired of runnin' and walkin' after this maniac..."
Guardromon backed up, blushing lightly. "I could never be worthy, fair maiden! Besides that, I must escort you and the weaponless Ryuuji and protect you from danger! I must pay full attention to the both of you and have you in sights at all times!"
"Fair maiden?" Sistermon laughed, elbowing Ryuuji in the sides with a shifty look. "See? This is how yer talk to a charming lass like me, Jijicchi. Do not forget."
"Let's get a move on," the boy spoke, turning away. "Thanks for wanting to help, Shioda-san, Guardromon. I'm counting on you."
"Leave it to us!" Hirokazu grinned, pointing at himself with his thumb. The quartet then left, leaving the rest of the group behind.
Ruki scowled while Jen simply watched them leave, while Takato stayed behind with a worried expression. Juri noticed and tugged his sleeve.
"You're worried about Ryuuji-kun, aren't you, Takato-kun?"
Takato nodded, then looked down to the ground. "I didn't even manage to assure or motivate him. Or a chance to talk to him properly at all. He just refused to explain and took off... What should we do?"
"We could follow them," Kenta added.
"Ryuuji can save himself," Jen said, shaking his head. "He also has Sistermon and Hirokazu with him. It's best for us to split up in pairs too and do our parts. Continuing to press him is no use.
"First he comes pleading for help and then when he has it he grows impatient and leaves," Ruki growled, arms crossed.
"Well, I do understand how he feels," Juri chipped in. "Without Dorumon around he must feel powerless. It shows that he really wants to help and be of use."
"Shouldn't we start looking too?" Kenta asked. "I don't want him to punch me because we didn't find Dorumon because we were talking for too long here."
"Punch?" Jen repeated.
"He's not a delinquent, Kenta-kun," Juri spoke. "We know that was just a baseless rumour."
"Better be safe than sorry!" Kenta countered. "Besides, we didn't confirm anything! Who knows what he does outside of school!"
"Not like Hirokazu would be the first target since he's closest to him now," Ruki muttered.
"Let's find Dorumon," Takato nodded, pumping his fist. "It's the only way we can help Ryuuji. But how do we split up the groups? Kenta is usually paired with Hirokazu."
"Usually?" Ruki repeated, eyebrow raised. "All the time."
"I'll go with you, Takato, Guilmon!" Kenta answered.
"Terriermon and I will join you," Jen added, Terriermon giving a peace sign. "Ruki, can you go with Juri?"
Smiling, the redhead nodded. "Leave it to me."
"For how long do we keep searching?" Kenta asked.
"Hmmmm..." Juri put her indexfinger to her chin, giving it some good thought. Outside of the abyssmal weather, there was also the actual time to take in account, as well as the responsibilities to be had for tomorrow. "Does two more hours at maximum sound alright?"
"Sounds good to me," Takato answered. "I'll let Ryuuji kn-" Takato then froze, much to Guilmon's curiosity.
"Takato? What's wrong?" he asked.
"I... I don't have Ryuuji's contact info," he stammered. "Does anyone else have?"
"I don't," Jen answered, while Ruki shook her head. "I don't have it either," Juri added.
"Ah, I know!" Kenta butted in. "I'll just let Hirokazu know, he'll let Ryuuji know!"
"Jen, stop him!" Terriermon declared. "Hirokazu is about to die!"
"Terriermon..." Jen sighed, softly stomping him on the head with his fist.
"Then, we'll go this way," Takato said, pointing into the opposite direction Ryuuji and Hirokazu went off in. "Katou-san, Ruki, if you go that way, we'll have all the ways covered, right? Since you came from that way."
Ruki nodded, with Juri smiling. "Then, let's go! Let's find Dorumon and help ease Ryuuji-kun's mind!"
Everyone nodded with a smile, throwing their fists in the air simultaneously.
"Yeah!"
"Yer gotta keep yerself calm, Jijicchi. They're tryna help."
"I know that, Noir," the blond sighed, glancing back at her. "And I don't mean to come across as ungrateful, angry or whatever, but excuse me for being worried about Dorumon."
"I'm worried too, Jijicchi," the Digimon sighed. "But walking off 'cause they wanted to make a plan and they didn't do it as fast as yer'd wanted won't help yer."
Teal-green eyes threw a look at the ground, their positioning failing to let Sistermon see the remorse in his eyes. "I know that. I'll apologise to them later when we meet up again. Hopefully with Dorumon."
As a shadow loomed overhead, Sistermon looked up, grinning as she spoke up. "Ah! Great timin'! Yer can start right now!"
The duo watched Guardromon and Hirokazu land in front of them, the latter getting off as he shook his head. "We couldn't find any trace. I'm sorry."
Ryuuji's hand balled in a fist briefly. It was not like he expected Dorumon or any other trace to magically appear but this was still too frustrating. "No, it's okay. I should apologize for earlier, Shioda-san." Bowing again, he wondered if there ever was a day he had bowed this much. Not his finest hour, for sure.
"Huh?" Hirokazu blinked cluelessly, staring at Guardromon before staring back at the blond boy. "What are you apologising for? For earlier when you walked off by yourself? There's no need to apologize for that!"
"But-"
"If something like this happened to Guardromon, I'd also want to find him as quick as possible and disregard all else," Hirokazu admitted. "I think for almost everyone that goes the same with their partners."
"Ain't that good, Jijicchi!" Sistermon smacked him on the back with a grin. "Yer forgiven! Now turn that frown upside down!"
"Shioda-san..." Ryuuji smirked, huffing out through his nose. "Thanks. Let's try to cover as much ground as we can with the time we still have. Even if we don't find Dorumon himself, even the tiniest clue might help."
Hirokazu placed a hand on his shoulder, shooting him a thumbs up with a grin. "Don't worry! If we all work together we'll find him."
The blond glanced at the hand placed on his shoulder and Sistermon noticed him smile lightly, causing her to grin.
"You know," he began, "you're pretty cool, Shioda-san."
"Tell me about it!" the brunet laughed, rubbing his finger down the bottom of his nose. "You're pretty cool too for a rich kid!"
"Rich kid?" Ryuuji repeated, raising his eyebrow. "Wait, so am I lame or cool...? I can't figure out if that was a backhanded compliment..."
"Yeah, usually they're a bit snotty or have an aura of feeling better than anyone else, but you're chill!" Hirokazu explained. "Though, your clothes do look expensive, but you don't really brag about it either."
"I don't think it's worth bragging about something that cost me multiple allowances," the blond muttered. "Not to mention it's not from my money either..."
"See?" Hirokazu went. "Two feet nice and clean on Earth!"
As the two boys continued their way as they chattered, Sistermon followed closely behind, hands behind her head as she kept a close eye on the blond boy. "Yer getting better at this, Jijicchi... Good for yer."
"By the way, can you call me by my first name? It's kind of lame that you only want us to adress you by your first name but you use our last names when adressing us."
"Is it?"
"It is!" Hirokazu exclaimed. "We're friends, man!"
Ryuuji came to an immediate stop, looking at Hirokazu wide-eyed as Sistermon grinned in wild satisfaction. Hirokazu also noticed, glancing back. "What?"
The blond smirked at him, shaking his head. "Nothing. I guess it's fine in that case, then. Hirokazu-san."
"Hirokazu!" he corrected, throwing an arm around the boy in a friendly manner with a grin. "Just Hirokazu!"
"Alright, alright. I got it."
'Ye, yer getting real good at this, Jijicchi,' Sistermon inwardly spoke. 'Keep it up.'
Even if the rain continued to fall, she had been forced to run after him multiple times today and with Dorumon being taken by someone, it seemed that there was at least something good about today. Although... She clutched her chest, gritting her teeth as she did so.
"This is becomin' a problem, though..."
"The rain isn't letting up," Juri spoke, peaking up to the sky from underneath the umbrella, just enough to not get wet. "Poor Dorumon-chan must be shivering right now..."
"I don't think whoever abducted him would leave him outside to rot," Ruki answered.
"Regardless, time is of the essence," Renamon spoke. "We do not know who took him and where they took him. Ryuuji's restlessness is bound to grow."
"And then the idiot will just get more reckless," Ruki grumbled. "We can't play babysitter each time he just runs off on his own."
Juri blinked in innocence at Ruki's words, smiling. "I don't really think Ryuuji-kun is reckless at all. He's worried for Dorumon-chan's safety. I think it's a good thing he's so determined to find him fast, even if he may go about it the wrong way."
The redhead frowned at the girl, who clearly held another vision of the person Hoshizora Ryuuji that she had. "Well, I guess I can't blame him. If something like this happened to Renamon, I'd hate it too."
"See? You're not so different," Juri hummed in delight. "So let's find Dorumon-chan fast so Ryuuji can start smiling instead of frowning. It would mean a lot to him."
Ruki scoffed at Juri bringing up the prospect of being the same, before sending her brunette friend a mildly disgusted look. "Between frowning and looking smug, I'd rather have him frown all day. Besides, you seem pretty insistent on looking out for the happiness of a guy you don't know for that long. Don't tell me that you... do you have a crush on Lashes?"
Juri giggled at Ruki, wiggling her finger at her. "That's not it."
"Right," Ruki noted. "You got Takato, after all. Just confess already and get it over and done with. But even so, that doesn't explain the rest."
"This is not about me and Takato-kun right now," Juri answered, attempting to avoid the subject for now, though her rosed cheeks spoke for themselves. Was it really that obvious? "I just think Ryuuji-kun could use some support from people he feels he can trust."
"People he can trust?"
Juri nodded. "Even when he's present in a group like now, it still feels like he's elsewhere. As if everyone is talking and facing each other while he has his back turned to everyone while staying silent."
Ruki raised her eyebrows, disbelievingly repeating, "staying silent? Him? He's a walking chatterbox."
"See?" Juri smiled. "We both know different Hoshizora Ryuujis. Whether any of them is the real one we'll have to find out once he feels he can trust us."
"Trust us..." Ruki repeated, turning to Juri. "Do you think something's going on with him, then? Since you always act like this when you're trying to look out for someone who's having troubles. This is not just about Dorumon, is it."
Juri glanced up to the sky, clasping her hands together behind her back. "I still remember four years ago. It's hard to forget about. Even now I still find myself thinking back to it a lot or wake up about it in the middle of night when it gets really bad... I do my best with therapy, though. But I feel like just with me back then that Ryuuji-kun has something weighing on him that holds him back at times. I don't really want anyone to have to go through what I went through back then."
The redhead's gaze met the ground, her hands balling into fists. She had remembered back then when she found out what Juri had been dealing with and her inability to notice it. That feeling sucked. It was the actual worst feeling. She had promised herself at the time it wouldn't happen again, yet here she was again. Sure, it was a person she barely knew this time, but it was a person she was acquinted and working with. Yes, Juri, in Ruki's opinion, had great perception skills, but if Juri could notice so fast, why couldn't she? Was she simply unable to? Did she simply not work hard enough? Or did she simply not care enough? Ruki shook her head. That wasn't it. But whatever it was, she didn't like a bit of it.
What if it was true and Ryuuji's feelings spiralled, escalating into some grand-scale event? Just like four years ago, Digimon were in play and just like Juri, he had been partners with a Digimon. If it turns out Dorumon was not just missing, but also killed, what would happen to the blond? Would some other digital entity latch onto him and use his feelings? Would he seek out someone himself to help him seek revenge? What if neither and he'd just completely break and mentally shut down?
No, their was no time nor reason to think about it for now. They would find Dorumon, keep an eye on Ryuuji and help him wherever was necessary. Right?
"Could it be that you don't like Ryuuji-kun, Ruki?" Juri asked, smiling at her. She had a feint idea on the exact details, but she still wanted to hear it from Ruki herself, just in case. She knew how Ruki could be about her own feelings at times and she was her closest girl friend, after all.
"It's not that I dislike or like him in particular," she answered, her train of thought being broken for a second. "He's just... I find it hard to get along with him," she sighed. "Everything about him rubs me the wrong way."
Juri smiled to herself. "I see," she mused. "I think you need to keep approaching him with an open mind and give him some time to get comfortable. He's a loner at school so I think he's just feigning it a bit."
"Is that so..."
The brunette then sent Ruki a sly look, while maintaining a sparkling innocence in her eyes. "Or perhaps Ryuuji-kun has fallen heads over heels for you and he's trying to impress you. Boys always go about this type of stuff in a roundabout way, after all. He does not pay any of the girls in our school any mind either."
Ruki sent Juri a soft glare, holding her hand in front of her mouth. "I feel like I'm about to throw up. Don't say that ever again." Juri giggled and said nothing. Ruki, however, did. "Besides, not all of them are so roundabout about it. I remember Takato blurting it out pretty directly before."
Beginning to blush, Juri coughed, trying to giggle it away. "Is that so? I can't remember."
Smirking, Ruki elbowed her lightly. "It's not fun if you're at the other end of Dr. Love advice, huh, Juri?"
"You're not usually one to talk about stuff like this, Ruki," Juri noted. "Did something happen?" She then gasped in surprise. Could it be-?! "Are you actually the one who fell for Ryuuji-kun!?"
Ruki shot her another glare, then jerked her head away in annoyance. "As if! He'd wish! You're just like mom. She seems a bit too interested in these topics too. Everytime we pass a boy my age in public she tries to make it into something it's not."
Juri smiled, countering, "Isn't that nice? Having someone who looks after you in areas like that?"
"It's not that it's not nice," Ruki admitted. "It's just... it's weird, okay!"
The brunette nodded, keeping a smile on her face. "It's awkward to talk with your mother about, I get it. Do you find it awkward to talk about with me too?"
"I don't find it awkward, I just..." Ruki paused for a second and Juri was not sure if she was looking for words or if she was about to burst. "I just have no interest in that type of stuff, okay? So I don't walk to talk about it."
Upping her pace, Juri noticed Ruki stomped forward lightly, causing her to smile to herself. It was cute how unhonest Ruki was sometimes (not that she'd ever say that to her outright). Juri then looked to the side in surprise, noticing something yellow awfully near her.
"Please forgive Ruki," Renamon pleaded. "She does not mean anything with it."
"I know," smiled Juri. "I think we both know, don't we, Renamon?"
The yellow kitsune nodded. "Yeah. But more importantly, we must make haste. Dorumon may have fallen in the hands of potential enemies." Renamon's mind then flashed to earlier, noticing Dorumon's tamer staring ahead with an empty, yet sad look, before her mind flashed to a Dorumon having fun playing with everyone. "Retrieving him as fast as possible must be the first priority."
As the rain beganning letting up, Juri staired at the sky, noticing that the heaviest peak of the downpour seemed to have passed, now being much more manageable to traverse through. Hopefully this was a reflection of something. A sign from fate, hopefully.
Did Ryuuji-kun believe in some sort of fate, she wondered.
"Jeeeeeen! How much longer do we have to walk through the rain for?" Terriermon wailed. He grabbed the end of his ear, desperately trying to get the water off, uttering an audible groan once it got wet again as it was just in the range of the rain's trajectory that went unprotected by the umbrella.
"Just bear with it for a bit, Terriermon," Jen spoke. "It's not the first time you've gone outside in the rain."
"But Terriermon," Guilmon began, "you're not walking. You're sitting on Jen's shoulder." He lazily shrugged the water on his tail aside by swatting it. His makeshift umbrella leaf really didn't cover enough.
"It's the principle, Guilmon!" Terriermon refuted. "The principle!"
"MarinAngemon likes it, at least," Kenta smiled, noticing MarinAngemon happily twirling around in the rain. Noticing Kenta staring, it urged him to follow his lead by tugging his sleeve. "No, MarinAngemon! Stop that! I'll catch a cold!"
Takato laughed, before turning his attention to Jen. "Hey, Jen, do you really think we shouldn't let Yamaki-san know? He can help."
"It would be best if we could," the boy responded. "But I don't think we should be the ones to ask. Not without Ryuuji-kun's permission, at least. You saw how hostile he was to Yamaki-san."
"I suppose you're right..." The brunette then immediately balled his fist, smiling confidently. "But if we find Dorumon first, we won't even have to ask! Let's do this, Jen, Kenta!"
The duo nodded, and as much as they'd rather not be out in this weather, this was simply something that had to be done.
"By the way, did you let Hirokazu know the exact details, Kenta?" Jen inquired, turning to Kenta. The bespectacled boy nodded, saying, "Hirokazu said he'll make sure to bring Ryuuji back along."
"How was Ryuuji feeling?" Takato asked. "Did you ask? Or did he say anything on it?"
Kenta took out his phone, tapping a couple of times before showing Takato his screen, taking the latter back. He sweatdropped, not sure what to say. "S-scary..."
"Hirokazu says he got it under control now, though," Kenta continued, putting his phone away, and with it, a hastily taken picture of a deeply frowning Ryuuji looking like he was about to strangle a man out of anger. "He managed to get Ryuuji to cool it down a bit. I'm not sure how he did it, though."
"He may miss some tact, but Hirokazu is a good guy," Jen answered. "Maybe Ryuuji-kun just needs someone who lacks the tact and tells it to him straight."
"No, no, no," Kenta waved his hand around, dismissing Jen's thoughts. "There is no way Hirokazu would not think twice about what he says to Ryuuji. He won't risk the punch!"
"The punch?" Jen repeated.
"School rumour," Takato sighed. "It doesn't seem to be true, but people do still seem to think Ryuuji has a bad temper."
"He floored Tobitake-senpai, Takato!" Kenta protested. "Even if he doesn't have a bad temper, neither I, or Hirokazu are stupid enough to try and provoke someone who can do that!"
Guilmon and Takato looked at each other, while Terriermon smirked. "If anyone is stupid enough to do it, it would be either of you, though."
"Terriermon," Jen called out, who laconicly responded. "Moumentai!"
"Tobitake-senpai hasn't been at school anymore ever since," Takato recalled, now that Kenta brought him up. "I wonder if he transferred out..."
"What if he's plotting revenge?" Kenta asked. "I'm not ready to die yet! They say he has friends in streetgangs!"
"I'll bring lots of bread to your grave, Kenta!" Guilmon chimed in. "Lots and lots of delicious bread!"
Kenta stepped back. Was Guilmon saying he was fine with him dying?! "That's not reassuring, Guilmon!"
"Don't worry too much about it, Kenta," Jen stated, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Even if he was planning something, there's not much he can realistically do. He doesn't know where you live and the chance you'll run into him are small. If he waits for you near the school there's too much public too anything and within school itself he's on schoolgrounds."
Cupping his chin as he thought about it, that actually did make sense. "Yeah... Yeah, you're right, Jen! Tobitake-senpai can't hurt me! We fought the D-Reaper! What's a guy with an ugly pompadour going to do?"
"That's the spirit," Jen smiled, with MarinAngemon chirping along.
"And if something bad does happen, I'll just use Ryuuji as a meatshield!" Kenta declared, causing Jen, Takato and Terriermon to sigh.
"Ryuuji is a shield of meat?" Guilmon wondered, bringing his claw to his chin as he imagined Ryuuji morphing into a shield made of meat, drooling at the prospect of the food. No wait, all humans were made out of flesh. "Guilmon shouldn't be taking part in conversations on an empty stomach..."
"Ah! The rain's letting up, Jen!" Terriermon shouted, much to his own delight. "No more wet ears!"
"Then we better hurry up before another downpour happens," Takato added, as Guilmon moved the leaf above his head aside.
"And before it gets dark," Kenta followed up.
Jen nodded, while MarinAngemon looked up to the sky. Looking slightly dejected, he made his feelings clear. He just wanted to play in the rain a little bit longer. Kenta petted him on the head, shooting him a smile. "It's okay, MarinAngemon. I'll play along with you next time, but I need you to help searching first."
MarinAngemon nodded with a happy cry, circling around Kenta in delight.
"Alright!" Takato declared. "Let's search!"
The rain clattering away at the roof of the house caused her to grow drowsy, her already unenergetic aura dampening even more. All the while the Beast Man Digimon continued to watch her closely, not interfering or speaking. He hadn't been here for long but he had been quietly watching this world unknown to him, gathering information to learn more and more about the things around him, as well as the girl that was now his Tamer.
It was certainly a change of pace from where he always used to be. This world was colorful, noisy and busy, yet somehow tranquill and charming. He wasn't sure if he would say he'd 'like' this world or if he would ever come to, but he at least knew he didn't particularly dislike it.
What was most particular to him where those called 'humans'. He had heard of them, of course. He just never really had anything to do with them. Humans had been in his world before and he happened to know that the Four Holy Beasts, who had first distanced themselves from human, had cooperated with humans to stop the D-Reaper that ran rampant.
Getting involved with the humans wasn't really something he had done yet. He had mostly been watching from afar, taking it all in. There were various type of humans, much like Digimon. In that aspect, that and whatever drove them to be like that, probably weren't much different. However, he did not feel all that much from it. Perhaps it was a habit or feeling unconsciously developed from back in the Digital World or perhaps he was truly indifferent.
No, indifferent was not it. That girl was not someone he was indifferent too. While he did not feel like 'partners', he did feel a specific responsibility over the girl. To watch over her, protect her and stand by her side if needed. Then again, how does one know what it feels like to be a partner? How does one learn what it takes to get that feeling? He did not know, but for now, he was content watching her. In order to protect her and stand by her side, he needed to know more about her so that he could fulfill those duties to the best of his abilities when the time came.
Her activities were nothing out of the ordinary. She wasn't very energetic nor did she speak all that much. To call it disinterest was something he didn't feel would be the right word, perhaps it was just in her nature or a result of something that had happened long ago. Yet, whenever she stared at him, her eyes showed kindness, even on that first moment they met, neither knowing of each other who they were and what their goal was. She accepted him fast, took him in without issue and even if she seemed to be elsewhere with her thoughts, she never failed to check in on him. Whether he was okay, whether he wanted a drink or something to eat or even something else like just going outside.
He did not mind. He did not understand the leisure of frivolous acts like simply talking or playing. Yet someone showing care for him felt nice. Perhaps that was the reason for his duty of responsibility? Or perhaps it was some sort of fate that brought them together? Perhaps she was... well, who knows. If that was the case, that was the best possible scenario.
Gazing upon the new claw he still had to get used to, he closed it with resolve, yet regret. What if he came up short again? And with it, failed to protect this girl? Would she look at him with sadness? Or perhaps with pride over him having given it his all? No, there was no use mauling over something like that now.
Sounds of the falling rain helped soothe his mind. She was right in that aspect. The sound of the rain falling really could sooth your mind. Was it the same for every human? Or perhaps only for those who were the same as her? Now that he thought of it, it was raining too when they met.
The girl's eyes widened slightly, almost as if something suddenly came to her. Was this that sense she told him about? The sense she used as explanation to their meeting?
"Are you okay?" he inquired, voice stern yet soft.
"I sensed something..." she answered, narrowing her eyes lightly as she got up. "It seems something is happening. Like an omen..."
"I see," he spoke, pushing himself off of the wall to his full height. "Do you wish to head out? If it is not urgent, I propose that we wait until this weather has died down."
Nodding at the Digimon, she shot him a soft smile of gratitude. "Thank you for the suggestion, but this is important. I hope you won't mind accompanying me again."
The Digimon couldn't help but feel the corners of his mouth tug up into a soft smile, shaking his head. "Not at all. I shall follow suit."
Coincidence. Fate. None of that mattered to him. For whatever reason this happened, all he could do was be grateful.
To see his role in this partnership out until the very end. That was what he would do.
I was not sure what the best cut-off was, but I think with what's still coming, I decided this was probably the best cut-off for this chapter to prevent making it either too long or make it not flow well with the next chapter. Hence why it's a bit shorter than recent chapters.
How did I come up with the groups for the split? I did not, I kind of just went with the flow and with whatever came out which was this. Even if nothing too special happened here, I still think it's important to have the big group split into smaller groups for the different dynamic amongst each other, as well as the different subject matters or other stuff.
I struggle a bit with balancing Guilmon. Guilmon is still Guilmon (his own words, not mine. Just check episode 25.), but he's also surprisingly wise at times and hsa times where he's clearly able to say what he is thinking and means. It's hard to balance that and his somewhat child-like innocence that he had displayed at times, as well as the playfullness he has. For everyone else that may not really seem like there's much too them (Jen, Terriermon)... I'll get there. Eventually. I promise.
Wonder if anyone can guess who the two are in the final part. 50 bucks. Actually, no. I'd rather not lose money. I don't think it should be too hard to guess, assuming you paid attention and have a decent enough memory.
On that note, I do kind of hope I manage to bring about the mysteries, secrets and other hints across well or at least good enough for people to notice something is up. I'm not really sure, but if I do, I guess that's great. If not, I guess I got to work on it. It's always a bit hard to balance it properly in such a way you just hint at it instead of outright laying it too thick and pretty much give it away.
That said, a lot of talking again and not much action, but nonetheless, I hope it appealed to someone in some shape or form.
Until next time! Be well and have a good one! Hopefully the next chapter will be up sooner, but I can't do many promises, unfortunately.
