A/N: This chapter contains scenes of mature-rated content. Reader discretion is advised.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Seeing Red

Chapter: 13

Night found Rika sitting alone in her room, the soft glow of the lamp in the corner casting a candlelight illumination along its walls and ceiling. It made her think of romance and she envisioned herself and Takato seated across one another, having a nice dinner together.

It also left her with a restlessness that she couldn't as yet identify.

She turned the page to her Motorcross magazine and in spite of her restlessness, a small, amused smile curved along her face at the rather, from her perspective, childish imaginings.

Takato's definitely influencing me too much, she thought. Both him and Jeri.

Yet, in spite of herself, she couldn't summon up any desire to berate herself over the visage as she would have prior. Despite the day's events, the two of them had a pretty decent outing, topped off with ice cream at the end. Of course, Takato took Kazu's prank and his overall reaction to his friend's behavior quite badly, but he settled down toward the end of the day. He didn't let it hover over his head as he was wont to do, thanks to her. She felt good about that.

We're keeping each other grounded, she thought, scratching at her shoulder. She paused, frowning slightly in recollection of him grabbing her arm in an attempt to stop her from slugging Kazu. She felt a slight spark of agitation and she wondered about that. Before she could pursue that thought further however, a slight cough from off to her side made her look up. She found Renamon standing in the doorway.

"Renamon," she said, feeling a sense of questioning filter in through their psychic connection. "What's up?"

"I wanted to let you know that I'm going to be paying Henry a visit," the vulpine digimon said. Shifting her weight, Rika leaned forward and then gave her a playful smirk, sensing that the kitsune was uncomfortable about something.

"Feeling the need to clear the air a little?" she asked. Renamon nodded in reply.

"I feel that my attempt at covering for you and Takato may have been a little harsh on him. He seems to have been the most affected by my appearance."

"Can't say that I blame him," Rika nodded, still smirking. "You kind of affected me too, you know. If I swung a little more toward girls, you probably would have had my complete attention on that train."

At that, Rika saw a small blush coloring Renamon's cheeks, just barely visible beneath her fur. Yet, the kitsune seemed pleased by this revelation.

"Oh?" she asked playfully. "Then perhaps next time I should try something a little closer to Takato and Ryo. Would I have your complete attention then?"

Rika's own cheeks darkened now and she hurriedly looked away, trying hard to clamp down on her imagination before it could go into some unexpected corners. In spite of herself, she barked a harsh laugh.

"All right. You've had your fun. Go clear the air with Henry. For goodness sake, you hang out with Terriermon too much."

Renamon gave her partner a polite bow. "I'll be back," she said before vanishing from view with the sound of a flute playing on the air. Rika leaned back in place, gazing at the place her partner had vacated.

What a weird day, she thought to herself. Sort of a good day, but also a weird one. Well, at least it's over now. And with our relationship out in the open, maybe Takato and I can have fun without having everyone poking at us.

Brushing aside her bangs, she leaned back onto her table, looking at a picture of a Motorcross rider standing on the seat of their bike. The restless feeling returned and she felt her heart skip a beat, imagining herself doing a stunt like that. It looked dangerous and no doubt took a great deal of guts.

She found herself wondering if she had that kind of courage.

Takato had more courage than I did when it came to our relationship, she realized. What does that say about me?

Her violet eyes flashed over to the picture of her gogglehead and once more felt a small ember of annoyance. A different kind from earlier, but she finally had a name for her restlessness. She felt as though she had been defeated. Outraced and by Takato of all people.

Why does he have more courage about our relationship than I do? she wondered, fingers curling into her palms. Why was I so afraid about letting everyone know we were together? Why do I still feel a little bit weird about it?

Of course, she knew the answer. Publicly showing feelings was tantamount to showing weakness for others to exploit, as some of her classmates did from time to time. Terriermon did so as well, and even though his teasing came from a somewhat good place, it was a reminder that she didn't like feeling exposed to scrutiny and judgment. That woman from the beach was a stark reminder of that dislike of judgment. Takato felt much the same as she did. She knew that from her teasing him back during the early days of their association; before they became close friends.

Yet, Takato was at times more willing than she to expose his feelings and take risks with them, as he did by kissing her in public and then later spilling the beans to their friends about their relationship. Even when he paid for it, he somehow managed to find the wherewithal to try again.

Restlessness and agitation built up within her as she flipped the page of her magazine, seeing another rider doing a daring stunt. It almost seemed to mock her. What good was being able to do stunts or take risks if she couldn't even do the bare minimum of acknowledging her relationship with Takato?

Since when did she do things halfway?

A Tamer never walks away from danger, she thought, closing her eyes and balling up her fists. On sudden inspiration, she pushed herself up from her seat and away from the table. Her eyes swiveled about to the bag from yesterday's outing with Jeri, its remaining hidden contents still buried deeply within. She scowled at it, feeling as though it were mocking her as well.

"This is stupid," she growled to herself. With determination blazing in her heart, she marched on over to the bag and shoved her hand inside.

###

Renamon felt the cool breeze of the summer evening playing along her fur as she leapt through the air, bounding from rooftop to rooftop. Her thoughts strayed to Rika, feeling her distant frustration. Sensing that it wasn't anything to be concerned about, she withdrew from their connection; keeping just enough attention to be warned should something go wrong, but giving the girl her privacy. The frustration emanating from the girl was a familiar one, and having become used to the warning signs, knew that her partner would soon need some time to herself.

Humans during puberty were such strange creatures, but at the same time easy to understand. At least, once one came to understand their patterns of behavior.

But understanding patterns of behavior wasn't the same thing as understanding the behavior. Seiko had helped her in some respects with Rika's growing up, but there were limits even for someone as experienced and wise as she with the ways of the world. She could extrapolate from that experience, but ultimately life needed to be experienced in order to learn about it properly.

Renamon pondered that as she left the residential area of Rika's neighborhood and rocketed across the train tracks that separated her partner from her lover and friends.

###

Rika slipped a pair of fingers between the straps upon her finishing hooking the pushup bra on. No resistance greeted them, nor were the straps too loose for her. Indeed, everything felt quite snug and secure. Leaning back with caution, half-expecting the getup to fail, she took herself in and drew in a nervous breath.

It…fits.

Of course, she already knew that, having tried it on herself while at the store, but she couldn't believe how well it fit. Not a single pinch or ache anywhere in her, front or back and her breasts nestled comfortably in the cups as though they were made for each other. Curious, she flexed her arms and rotated her shoulders. She smiled as everything remained perfectly settled, with only the slightest of tremors to remind her that her breasts were there.

Smirking with growing confidence, she punched at the air and then looked down at herself. She blushed at the sight of her cleavage as they peaked out at her. A bit more of an aggressive 'hello' than she was used to, as her bust had been pushed up a bit. She found herself beginning to imagine how she would have looked if she had gone to Takato's house wearing the low-cut, sleeveless, red shirt she had worn on that fateful day when she first asked him out.

Her eyes wandered over to her dresser and she realized she didn't have to imagine. She could have a look herself in the real world.

That brought her up short and she found herself preparing to dismiss the thought. Preparing, that is, but the mere thought of hesitation brought up her anger again.

A Tamer never walks away from danger, she repeated to herself. Marching her way over to her dresser, she pulled it open and yanked out the red shirt. Holding it up, she narrowed her eyes at it before slipping it on.

There, she thought, adjusting it with a harrumph. Like I'm going to let a stupid shirt or bra make me hesitate. No more of that. Like I said to Renamon. I'm either all in or all out. Nothing halfway.

The words felt easier to say than to act upon however. A quick look down at her chest and she found doubts greeting her.

It…really does kind of poke out, doesn't it?

Frowning, she pushed her chest out like Renamon had done earlier. The low cut shifted, revealing a bit more of the pushed-up swell of her pale breasts. She felt her face flame with embarrassment and found herself quite glad that she didn't have a mirror with which she could more easily see herself with.

I'm going to kill Takato if I see him while wearing both of these at once, she thought. She could already imagine his reaction. Stammering and blushing. Trying everything he could to keep from gawking. It would certainly put the ball in her court and make him look cute, but going all out this early felt a little too strong and devastating for the hapless boy. He wasn't innocent – as evidenced from the very start of their relationship – but he was too nice to be ready for such a sight from her.

Especially after he got worked up from just putting suntan lotion on me.

"Let's…try something a little more casual," she murmured to herself. Taking off the shirt, she chucked it back into her dresser and pulled out one of her usual outfits. This one being more in line with what she had worn in her youth, with blue raglan sleeves and a dark-blue heart emblazoned on the front. Drawing it on, she inspected herself.

Kind of bulges in the front a bit more, she thought, picking at the fabric around the heart. She sighed at how much more obvious her breasts were. Maybe this was a bad idea…

She balled her fists up again. No. She didn't want to think like that and retreat again back into what was 'safe.'

"Stupid… This is so…stupid!"

"What is, honey?"

With a surprised cry, Rika whirled about to find her mother standing at the doorway, a questioning look on her face. Rika blushed.

"N-Nothing," she stammered out. Reflexively, she folded her arms over her breasts, briefly reverting to how she had been two years ago, trying to hide her changing figure. With an inward curse, she drew her arms away and jammed her hands into her pockets. "What do you want?"

She cursed at herself again at how she sounded. Rumiko gave an amused shake of her head, clearly understanding she had walked in on something important and taken her daughter by surprise. Rika tended not to react well to surprises.

"Our TV show is on, so I thought I'd let you know. That is, if you're interested. I'll understand if you're tired."

Oh, right. Rika felt a bit foolish. The two of them had taken to having 'mother and daughter' time together over the years, bonding over various programs, ranging from Motorcross and mystery shows to Rumiko's current favorite, a hospital drama. Rika wasn't too fond of it, but she didn't dislike it either as it had enough going on in it to keep it interesting and allow her to ignore the mushy parts that so captivated her mother.

"No, I'll be right there," she said, starting toward the door. She froze in place, remembering she was still wearing the pushup bra.

"Rika?" Rumiko asked, tilting her head to one side as she saw her daughter hesitate suddenly. "Are you all right?"

"No. I mean yes." Rika's face burned. "I just…need to change."

Again, the curious head-tilt but Rumiko didn't push. Rika could be strange at times and this was likely one of those moments. She was about to shrug her shoulders and walk off when she noticed something a bit off about the girl herself. Her head tilted to the opposite direction and she looked her daughter over.

"Mom?" Rika asked, feeling suddenly uncomfortable, like she was being inspected for something she was hiding. Which, in a way, she was.

Realization dawned in Rumiko's eyes. "Oh…"

Rika felt her heart slam into her chest. Suddenly feeling cornered, she fell back onto the defensive and backed up, knees bending as though she were preparing to run or spring in an attack. "What do you mean, oh?!"

"Just 'oh,'" Rumiko replied, bringing a hand over her mouth to hide the growing grin that threatened to burst across her face. "Or maybe I should say, 'Oh my.'"

Embarrassment and anger mixed together into a deadly combination, causing the fire-haired girl to fix her mother with a dark glare. All of her remaining good mood was fast vanishing now.

"Mom…"

"I'm sorry, dear," Rumiko replied quickly, waving a dismissive hand in front of her. "I know I shouldn't. It's just…I never thought you would wear a…a…"

Rumiko gave a barely stifled guffaw, finding herself unable to finish.

Rika seethed, easily filling in the blanks for her. "I'm not wearing anything!" she said, incensed. At that, Rumiko's eyes snapped up and her laughter died down.

"Don't take that tone with me, Rika. I'm not judging you. I'm just…surprised, that's all." She smoothed her hands along her skirt and fixed her daughter with a hard look. "And don't lie either. I work in fashion and I've worn my fair share of them when trying to catch your father. I know a pushup bra when I see one."

Rika blinked and then looked away, ashamed. She clenched her fists together tightly, finding her throat suddenly tightening up as crimson spread across her face. Seeing her distress, Rumiko quickly closed the gap between them and drew the young girl into her arms.

"M-Mom…" Rika croaked as Rumiko massaged the back of her head. Instinctively, her hands wrapped themselves about her mother's back, holding her tightly.

She's shivering… Rumiko thought, returning the strength she felt from the girl's arms. She bit her lower lip at that, but she found she couldn't be surprised by such a reaction. Ever since puberty, Rika had difficulty dealing with being judged by her appearance. She had fought hard to become comfortable with herself again, but those old ghosts didn't completely go away. For someone like Rika, they rarely did.

"It's okay. I'm not going to yell at you," Rumiko soothed. "Like I said, I'm just surprised. You haven't shown much interest in this sort of thing so I thought…" She gave Rika a squeeze and for a moment she remembered being like this with her before, back when her daughter had her first period. Rika had been quite upset then as well and not just because of the menstrual cramps.

"Well… At the very least, if you wanted to try this sort of thing, I could have given you some advice."

"Mom!" Rika half cried, half muffled against her mother's shirtsleeve. Rumiko gave an apologetic kiss on her daughter's head before pulling back.

"So!" she smiled, running a hand along Rika's forehead, brushing back her bangs. "What got you into this? This is a pretty big leap for you."

Rika didn't meet her mother's eyes. She felt so humiliated to have this suddenly out in the open with her. It had been bad enough that she knew about her relationship with Takato, but to find out about the pushup bra too?

"Mom. Our show…" she began in a halfhearted attempt to steer the conversation into a new direction.

"Oh, we can discuss it while we watch," Rumiko said, her expression becoming somewhat stern. She was smiling, but there was a weight in her eyes. "I think we're going to have a lot to talk about with this."

Rika groaned, suddenly feeling very much like Takato right now and wishing she could just disappear.

###

Arriving at Henry's apartment, Renamon tapped a claw on the glass. Seated on the couch, watching something on TV, Henry's mother, Mayumi, looked up, at first surprised. But upon seeing who it was, she visibly relaxed. Still worried – Renamon didn't come calling all that often after all – but at ease as the kitsune was a familiar sight all the same. Getting up, Mayumi made her way over to the glass door. Unlatching it, she slid it open.

"Um… Hello, Renamon," she greeted. "Is… Is everything all right?"

"Yes," the vulpine digimon bowed politely. "I apologize if I am disturbing anything. I desired to see your son, Henry. I have some questions that I would like to ask him."

Mayumi cocked her head to one side, no doubt curious as to why she didn't simply call Henry up on the phone, but with a shrug, she stepped to the side, allowing Renamon entry.

"Henry!" she called. "There's a friend here to see you!"

Renamon's ears twitched, hearing Terriermon saying something to the effect of, "At late O'clock?" She chuckled. Despite the day's earlier events, she was glad that he hadn't been seriously injured by the volleyball. Terriermon's humor was not something that could be done without in their little group, even if it could be a pain at times. They would be lessened by his absence.

Henry came out into the living room, wearing his pajamas; a simple affair involving a white T-shirt and black sweatpants. He raised an eyebrow upon sighting the vulpine digimon and she inclined her head to him in greeting.

"Renamon?"

"Hello, Henry. I was hoping we could have a little chat about today."

At that, Henry's cheeks reddened slightly, but he nodded. Approaching, she led him out onto the apartment balcony and slid the glass door shut behind them, allowing them some privacy. Henry scratched the back of his head, clearly uncertain.

Perhaps worried as well? She tested the air with her nose. While not as strong as Guilmon, her ability to detect the moods of others by their scents was good enough. Sure enough, worry was there. Worry overlaying something else as well. It didn't take much for her to understand what that other scent might be.

"I would like to apologize for making you uncomfortable earlier today," she began. "It was not my intention to do so. I was merely trying to protect Rika's desire to keep her relationship with Takato private by assuming a form that would draw attention away from her. I…feel that I have abused you by doing so."

"Huh? Abused?" Henry looked up at her in surprise.

"Yes," Renamon nodded. "I might not know much about humans, but I knew enough to know how you and the others would react to the form I chose to create and how it would draw attention. I was deliberate in my actions and they caused you distress. I did not expect that, and I should have. I have observed such behavior after all. I should not have let that slip past my attention as I did."

She bowed again. "I am sorry."

Henry scratched the back of his head uncertainly.

"No, it's…it's all right," he said. "If anything, I'm sorry. I should have acted better around you. The way I was looking at you…" He looked at Renamon apologetically. "It wasn't right."

Renamon tilted her head to one side, not quite understanding why he was saying that. She could understand it a little bit, she supposed, given Rika's own aversion to modeling and being 'gawked at,' but she had gone out of her way to both get and keep attention on her. She might not have understood the full impact she had on the young boy or the others, but what harm was there in Henry looking at her?

No. It's more than mere looking, she thought with quiet realization as she gazed into Henry's grey eyes. I've seen this in the way Rika and Takato looked at each other. The way Kazu sometimes looked at Rika as well, or Jeri at Takato, Ryo or Henry. There's more here than just looking. Even appreciating.

"I'm not entirely sure that I understand," Renamon admitted, her tail swishing behind her. "If it's not too much trouble, could you explain it to me?"

"I'm not sure how I would be able to," Henry replied, blinking in surprise. "I don't really understand it myself. Maybe Rika's grandmother or her mother…"

"I have spoken with them at great length about this topic. There is only so much that can be taught using just words. If I were to experience…" Renamon's tail swished again as she found herself trailing off, this time with slight agitation. A thought had just occurred to her. A thought she hadn't considered before, but felt it might be of use to her. But would Henry be all right with it? She had underestimated the effect her form had on him before. What if she did so again and hurt him?

She frowned slightly and glanced away from the half-Chinese Tamer.

"Experience what?" Henry prompted, taking a step closer. Renamon shook her head.

"I need to think on it," she said finally. "Thank you for your time and once again, my sincerest apologies for earlier."

Before Henry could even reply, Renamon vanished from view leaving the sound of a flute playing behind her.

###

Rika rolled out her futon and then promptly planted herself on it face-first with a heavy groan. An hour. An hour during which instead of watching their show, Rumiko had grilled her about why she bought the pushup bra, what she intended to do with it and then a lecture on birth-control and the importance of protection during sex, should it ever come up.

As if I need to be told all those things again! With a growl, she rolled onto her back and harrumphed. Still, I guess I can't blame her for being worried. The way I've been feeling lately with Takato…

Her eyes softened as she remembered how her fingertips had graced the top of Takato's buttocks. The nice smoothness of his skin. The tight muscle buried just underneath and out of view…

Rika clenched her eyes shut, trying to will the memory away. Yet, try as she might, it stayed with her, and what was more, her imagination took it a bit further. She envisioned her hand slipping down his swim trunks, cupping his rear with her palm and giving it a nice squeeze. Takato – the Takato of her imagination – would jump in surprise, but not resist. Instead, he would blush and fidget while smiling at her encouragingly.

In the real world, Rika's hand slid up to her forearm and over her elbow. Brushing up to her shoulder, her fingers paused there and then massaged along it. She bit her lower lip, feeling herself start to warm up. She rolled onto her side, back to her door so she could hide what she was doing in the event someone came upon her unexpectedly.

I shouldn't be doing this, she thought, and her hand hesitated in its ministrations. Yet in her imagination, she was being bolder. She was kissing Takato now, pressing herself against him while her hands continued to explore the treasures hidden within his swim trunks. Fingertips now found his burgeoning erection and circled about it carefully. Seeing it in her mind was easier now since having gotten her sight of it, but she now found herself curious about how it felt. Was it smooth? Rough to the touch? Hard to be sure, at least when erect, but what did that mean when it came to that particular part of Takato's body? What did it mean at all?

And how did it work?

Rika's hand began to massage her shoulder again and her remaining one brushed against her belly. Her imagination swept her along to their motions, trying to find the balance between what she knew about the reality of Takato's penis and what Jeri's doujinshis told her about them. Pumping… Pumping them with her hands seemed like a good start. That's what the boys did there. And more.

What was it that Takuro did to Lee in that one doujinshi? Oh… Right.

She swallowed, her fingers brushing tantalizingly against her jeans, just outside where her clitoris remained hidden. In her mind, she had Takato's penis out in front of her, her hands running along it until they came down to his testicles, where she cupped them in her palms. Here she found herself a bit less certain. The artwork showed them as a sack, but she knew that it didn't come close to what the real thing even was. From photos she had seen – again, from Jeri's collections – she knew that while they were just that – a sack – they weren't rigid things either, like a paper bag. When relaxed, they hung loosely between the thighs and the testes were plain to see. How did those feel? She knew that they were a vulnerable spot for boys, easily injured and a great source of pain. But were they also a source of pleasure for them if worked properly and with care?

She hovered in front of them uncertainly before doing what the characters in the doujinshi had done. Leaning in, she gave them a lick before taking a testicle into her mouth. Her imaginary Takato gasped pleasurably and his penis twitched.

"Rika…" she imagined him saying. "You don't… You don't have to…"

"I want to," came her response, her lips releasing his testes. Rising up, she took the head of his penis into her mouth and then proceeded to sink her mouth down on him, swallowing him whole.

In truth, she didn't know if she wanted to try something like that. The idea sounded dirty to say the least, considering that a boy's penis didn't just shoot out sperm, but the imagery from the doujinshis she borrowed from Jeri featured it prominently. The boys in those stories seemed to enjoy it greatly, as did the girls from some of non-homoerotic ones. Perhaps…Perhaps it wasn't that bad? Maybe she could even enjoy it by just knowing Takato did? She loved the way his eyes looked when she had him on the ropes. The worried expression he had whenever she teased him, especially after he put his foot in his mouth.

This could be another way to tease him, wouldn't it? Another way to get that look she loved from him and not feel like she was bullying him. And…another look. The one from when he fought as a Tamer. Fearsome determination to fight and protect those he cared about at any cost. Here, it would be different. Similar, but different. Here, he would fight against his orgasm. Struggle to keep from shooting off, be it too soon or in her mouth, like all the other boys did in those doujinshis. They were all hesitant, and she knew Takato would be no different because that's how he was. He worried about doing something to her she might not like. So, he would struggle. He would fight against his own pleasure for her sake. But he wouldn't win.

Not when she would make him lose.

She popped the buttons to her jeans and her fingers slipped inside, threading past the red hair that lay beneath and down to the swollen heat that lay within. Her imaginary Takato made a choking sound as she wrapped her arms about his waist, preventing him from slowing or controlling the tempest raging in his body. She sucked harder, running her tongue along his length and then, as he reached the back of her mouth, he pulsed and jerked. His penis would burst there, spilling his hot seed into her mouth. His hips would jerk in a final attempt to pull out, but she would hold him there, fingers buried into the thick, tense muscle of his tight rump until he slumped at last in surrender, riding out his orgasm until she felt him go soft in her mouth, a faint trickle of residual sperm trickling out onto her tongue.

Satisfied that his orgasm was at an end, she would allow him to slip free and she would look up to find a new expression. One of exhaustion and satisfaction. His warm, red eyes – those eyes she loved so much – would fall on her. She gave his penis a slow pump, attempting to stir life back into it. She smirked at him playfully as it began to rise once more.

"Time for round two, Gogglehead," she said, a coy note in her voice.

Outwardly, Rika's fingers slid along her vulva before slipping beneath her warm, wet folds. Her teeth clenched, pleasure raking her body. Curling into a fetal position, her free hand abruptly grabbed hold of her thigh, gripping hard. Inside her, her fingers curled. She shook and quivered. In her imagination, she was climbing on top of her lover boy, pointing his member at her entrance. He made no attempt to stop her and for her, all thoughts of her earlier conversation with her mother and her warnings were gone. There was only the two of them and their love for one another. He smiled up at her. That warm, goofy smile of his that he always seemed to have no matter how rough things got. The smile that somehow always managed to melt her heart and make her feel that everything would be okay no matter how hard things were.

"I love you, Rika," he said, lifting himself up. His arms embraced her tightly and she sank down on him just as his hips thrust into her. In the real world, Rika bit down on her lip to keep from crying out as her first orgasm of the night hovered at the edges of her reach.

"T-Takato…" she gasped as muscles coiled and clenched within her pleasurably before breaking into a pulsing, hot rampage against her blanket.

###

Renamon had felt her partner pleasuring herself – dimly – through the link of their psychic connection as she drew near to the girl's home. Shutting herself out to give her that much desired privacy, the kitsune moved deeper into the city, patrolling around the park while she thought about the day's events.

Human relationships… They're so different from the ones digimon have with one another, she thought, walking along a powerline. I have love for Rika, but it's not the same as the kind she has for Takato. Could I ever feel the same as she? Would that help me understand how humans feel and why they act the way they do about something that is natural for them?

The question didn't feel like a fair one. Digimon were, by nature, sexless. True, many of them had obvious secondary sexual characteristics such as breasts, but they were cosmetic. A function of human data incorporated into digimon code as they absorbed said data. Consequently, digimon lacked the driving forces that brought humans together with one another. That didn't mean they didn't formulate relationships, be it with humans or digimon, or were incapable of it. Far from it. As the digital world was all about bringing things together and communicating, digimon did have a desire to connect with others. Digivolution's strongest bonds were formed from this connectivity. It was more a matter that the origin for this desire was simply different and had different pressures and outcomes.

Perhaps if I could make myself more human, I could come to better understand that? Renamon pondered that thought, but wasn't sure how that could be accomplished. Her shapeshifting abilities, though much improved from when she first began to exercise it, didn't actually make her the thing she mimicked. At the end of the day, she was still a digimon, with all the abilities and limitations that came with her. All she could change was the outer shell.

After some time had passed – Rika rarely took long with her 'business' – she made her way back home. Upon entering the household, she went to check in on her partner. She found her already in her futon, sound asleep. Renamon tested the air with her nose before smiling. There were storms in Rika's scent, but they were content ones. Satisfied ones.

"Pleasant dreams, Rika," she said softly, settling herself down in the corner of the room and closing her eyes.

10