Not an Ideal Place for Hopscotch [Cion] [Job]

Job: No Man's Land
# of Jobs Taken This Month: 1
Location: [Network Plains]

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Cion was not very familiar with the digital world's history or geography, but whatever caused the Network Plains to look like the surface of the digi-moon misused as a landfill surely left a lasting impression on the young digimon's mind. This was not natural, and she could feel it involved a lot of anguish and agony.

Thankfully, they subsided, leaving room for hope, restoration and prosperity. Efforts and progress were already evident, but completion was far from attained. Hence it was only natural she desired to contribute to this endeavor, even if it would not be much, restricted to her small power of a Rookie.

Searching for leftover explosives and deactivating did not sound like a constitutional way to contribute, but to her delight, she was not alone to face such danger. Owen, the Gaomon she at first merely admired from a distance, then became her only friend when they joined forces against a terrible foe, would be by her side.

Bringing him back to good health after that terrible battle against the fiendish Armor digimon had been quite a strenuous, time-consuming exertion, but it had resulted in the blooming of a beautiful bond. Still, hopefully today would be without pain and simply yield a bountiful harvest. And if some bits landed in their pockets as a reward, it would be a win for everyone.

Speaking of her only friend, there he was, waiting at the outside of the entrance to Terminus City. She had not yet spent much time inside the massive town, nor did she really desired that due to its uncongenial atmosphere. Should she really live here, and would Owen do so? Questions for later.

Approaching the Gaomon with a lot of pep in her movement, skipping occasionally like a dancer, she stopped in front of him and smiled at him. A head taller than her, but with a heart equally as warm. "Good day, Owy." She spoke with jovialness in her voice. Her silvery vulpine meshing well with his blue doggish body, so did her green scarf with his red bandana, her golden eyes sparkled when they met his. Grinning, she hastily leaned towards him and gave her best friend an eskimo kiss, her muzzle gently nuzzling his for a second or two.

It was good to see her friend, especially in such a vivacious state. He was the living proof that she could make a difference, and he was just... a great, amiable digimon.

Cion was always delighted to see her best friend's tail wag, especially when it was directed at her, a genuine symbol of affection. Which was another reason she had nuzzled him, and as she resumed a normal stance, she could see his cheeks turning red, making her playfully giggle at him. Owen and his missent digimonhood, not reckoning that requiting affection was the digimonliest achievement imaginable; always cute.

Still, she appreciated the pat on her back, even if it was a little less than she had hoped for. But she would slowly tickle the progress out of him, so he would one day fully open himself up to others. But enough of that for now, they had a task to accomplish and be credited for. "I'm ready!" She exclaimed, briefly raising a fist towards the sky, though keeping herself from shouting her readiness over and over again.

Her eyes followed Owen's movement when he pulled out a map of the Network Plains, making her shift her stance to have a good look at its contents. Green zones were clean, red zones were where they would work at. Simple, hence she nodded in understanding. They would tidy one part of the danger zone up, which of course meant deactivating all lingering weaponry. The cute Gaomon insisted on cleaning a very specific spot of his choosing, and she had no problem with that. "Okey Dokey." She responded sanguinely.

Listening to hsi explanations, she simply nodded a couple of times, glad to hear that they could at least safely travel the main roads. And more farmland meant less hunger and more culinary delight for everyone; a good impetus indeed for her without a doubt. "Oh yes, these weapons must go away." She agreed with her friend, though not shuddering like him, as she was not about letting a single weapon get away from being disarmed.

Making a step forward, she turned around to his friend, urging him to follow already. "If you have a plan in mind, please tell me." She requested, before grabbing him by his arm and pulling him to her. "So let's not waste daylight and get going already, eh?" She rhetorically asked him with a teasing tone, nudging his nose with one of her fingers while carrying a big grin, before she turned around and got going, with or without his consent.

Cion was honestly not sure herself why the notions of affection were inherent to her very core, but then again the same could be said about Owen's inherent valor, so she never really questioned it and simply took it as who they were. Everybody had their own little idiosyncrasies which made them special, and as long as it hurt nobody there was nothing wrong about that.

The affection she gave and received from Owen was a pleasant experience for the both of them, and one could only grow from further experiences. He would never berate her for her fondness and she would never berate him for his lion-hearted will to help. And by staying and working together, they would learn from one another to be even better digimons than they already were. In Cion's eyes, it was a win-win situation for literally everyone who was not a fiend, and she was confident Owen agreed wholeheartedly.

She could not help herself but grin when she saw her best friend blush from her playful teasing, knowing she was making 'progress' indeed. But since they had a task that needed to be accomplished, she decided not to dwell on it. Following at the same brisk pace he walked, she stayed quiet and listened to the plan Owen had come up with to finish their mission efficiently. She listened, nodding occasionally, and sometimes commented his explanations.

"Your sense of smell is that good? Splendid!" She credited her friend, not doubting his words a single bit. Destroying the explosives form safe distance was obviously a given, but she was nonetheless glad the Gaomon included that in his effectuation. He could be starry-eyed at times, but he was definetly a canny pup, which she appreciated. But enough with the encomia. Okay, they would place flags on the spots where they destroyed explosives so musclemons could clear up the wreckage, a task they were too weak in their current forms for.

It would take some time, and they would be as thorough as possible, but considering everything it was likely the best way to achieve their goal. "Excellent plan, Owen. Hopefully, I can help with my arrows and Translucent Cage ability." She responded, beaming with confidence and zest for action. Utilizing these techniques would be strenuous, but if it would be too much for her she could at the very least give Owen company and mend his injuries if something should go awry. Tasks she unquestionably took pride in.

Eventually, they reached the sight, which was only one league above a scrap yard. With her crystal bow on her back, she was ready for her best friend to innitiate the search. "Weidmannsheil, friend!" She cheered him on while observing him utilize his amazing nose. Seeing it twitch was... enchanting, tihi.

Cion was more than glad to know that Owen was understanding what he was doing and what he was talking about. She knew Owen was a placid and at times naive digimon, but also realized how dependable and responsible he was. The task ahead was a dangerous one indeed, but knowing that his friend took every conceiveable meassure of preparation to assure both their safety allayed her fears.

And it put a smile on her face, understanding that he cared for her and that behind his braver-playfulness there was a true hero wishing to make the world a better place. Together, they would manage their quest with flying colors. She was sure of that now, which is why she simply joined the laughter when Owen joked about potential fatuity. "Good you're primed so well. I'll simply follow your instructions and everything should be dandy!" She credited him with a winning smile, entrusting him with her good health. Hopefully, that display of faith, trust and confidence would encourage her friend further.

The little wink did not go unnoticed, making her grin rapturously and giggle. "I shall provide!" She responded, sunshiny that she could be of assistance to her big friend. Unbelieveable; he already had her suggestion in mind when he had asked her for help. That he had remembered her abilities from just the one battle against the Armor digimon a couple of weeks ago... how cute! At least that was Cion's jocund interpretation of the story.

Eventually, they arrived at the junkyard that was not meant to be, making her ready her crystal bow. An odd sight since it did not even have a string; nor did she have a quiver on her body, much less arrows, though Owen surely understood that everything was fine as it was. "Affirmative." She responded when the Gaomon instructed her to follow his every step without deviation. Being precise and dutiful, something that was almost instinctive to her. She would show him that she was the best sidekick he could hope for!

Doing as tasked, she simply followed him step by step while he scented out explosive material on all fours. Seeing Owen in this pose, especially from behind, was an enchanting sight indeed. He had such incredible focus, which is why she did not dare to disturb him in any way. She was too aroused to think about anything to say anyway, as oscitancy might mean their bale. Suddenly, Owen broke her out of her daydreaming, standing up again and pointing at the first remnant explosive he located. "Good boy." She praised him, not touching him this time as not to startle him.

Together with Owen, they returned a couple of steps whence they came to be in safe distance to the object they were about to detonate. They then laid down as not to be hit by shrapnel. He really had everything under control, right? In any case, lying next to him alone made it a pleasant experience, regardless of the hypothetical danger they were in. Why oh why did she feel such drive to be close with him?

"Uh, yes understood!" She exclaimed somewhat startled before resting her bow in front of her head, aiming at the mortar bomb. "Translucent Cage." She spoke under her breath, her right hand cramping as it became engulfed in light energies. Making an upwards motion with it, the light also started to surround the mortar bomb, before it began to hover an inch or two over the ground. Not enough to endanger them, but just enough to make aiming easier. Besides, the forces of the sphere of light should absorb some of the blasting power anyway, hypothetically speaking.

"Now, Owen!" Cion instructed her best friend, hoping for a coordinated attack. Quickly streaking over her bow, the light energies around her hand formed themselves into the bow's ethereal string and arrow, which she promptly fired at the inactive explosive. Immediately after, all energies faded away again, while her Translucent Cage ability would only persist for a couple more seconds.

Hopefully, he liked her grace...

Of course Cion had felt a bit of guilt, making Owen take most of the damage since she was far from a bruiser like he was. One of the many reasons she had patched him up again afterwards, the main reason being his heart of gold. But once he'd become more stalwart, they would surely make an excellent team. Speaking of Owen, she was subconsciously relived he had not turned around to see her briefly peeking. But hey... it gave her even more incentive to stay. He was just so adorable.

She definetly enjoyed the company as well, just as the smiles he was giving her, making her smile back at him. It definetly was much better doing this task alongside her best friend, even if it was a bit distractive. Still, they had to muster all their focus for their combined assault on the first inactive explosive, hence she behaved professionally for that act. While she transformed the light energy she spent to conjure an arrow to fire it, Owen released several squalls by simply barking. Yes, definetly adorable.

Their joint efforts caused the explosive to detonate in a violent, yet entertainingly exciting display of gun powder. It was like fireworks, but actually dangerous for Non-In-Trainings. And thankfully, they did not even get dirty from the dispersed dirt and dust. "Awesome!" She exclaimed together with Owen, before getting up to inspect the damage they caused. Everything seemed safe and sound, which lead the Gaomon to plant one of the yellow flags, just as planned. "1 done, 50 squintillion more to come." She jokingly credited themselves for a first step well done. But both knew there was still much to come.

They repeated the process, granting Cion more impressions of her best friend's charming frame, wondering though why his tail was so high. She did not have time to think about it, since Owen found another object they had to take care of. A landmine to be precise, which should proof more difficult. But wait, where was it, and why was Owen sniffing the ground like... "Ooooooh." She let out, comprehending that Owen had located the mine under the surface. He put one of the flags on it so they would know where to launch their attacks at, which was a smart idea indeed.

Getting to a safe location as before, she simply whispered "Bracing Respite." a couple of times, tapping herself and Owen on the shoulder. The weak light energies would bolster their natural health regeneration a little and would make them feel warm and fuzzy inside, and it granted Cion endurance-saving excess energy to conjure more arrows. It was her only option since Translucent Cage would only cause the flag to hover, and her arrows were simply more powerful if casted alongside another ability. Not that they were baneful, but it was the difference between a fired projectile and a flung booger.

"Ready when you are." She reported with a cheerful tone, just waiting for her best friend's command to start their assault.

Of course she had exaggerated when she said that there were still 50 'squintillion left, that number being entirely fabricated for the sake of comedy. "Probably not." She responded, chuckling alongside her friend before focusing back on the search. Or more like focusing on Owen while he scent more explosives out, simply following him step by step. Gosh, if he started to wag his tail now, she would probably faint from adorability.

She had mainly used her Bracing Respite healing ability to empower her arrows, not to really heal the two of them. However, it was certainly a boost for their immune system, so if anyone of them was to catch a data-parasite, it should be dealt with easily and quickly.

And there was no reason for her to be hesitant, since this technique was weaker and much more sparing than other healing abilities, allowing for more constant cure rather than a short burst of recuperation. Besides, it made them feel comfortable inside, so it was far from a waste. Anything that made her best friend happy was proper application in her eyes.

"Actually, it's how I attack in the first place! For some reason, channeling energy directly into the form of arrows is very strenuous and demanding for me, maybe because of my supportive nature. But if I utilize power for something positive first, like healing or attempting to end a battle peaceably with my Translucent Cage ability, bending the excess power becomes almost natural. It's only small amounts of power, so I don't think my arrows can slay others... but they hurt more than just harsh words, which is ideal for me. That armored bully surely agrees, hehe." She explained herself calmly, followed up by a wise crack.

She enjoyed her powers being for the good of everyone, but she understood that some fiends could not be reasoned with and needed to be put down. Any efforts that will better the world she gladly supports, especially if Owen was involved.

After her explanation, their combined efforts excavated the mine and caused it to detonate in yet another display of ignited explosive substance. And just like before, they were safe and sound thanks to their preparation and caution. "Well done indeed!" She agreed with her best friend, giving the good boy a winning smile. But there was not much time to celebrate, since they still had a lot ahead of them. So they resumed their search, taking a while before finding something else.

What they found however was not a danger, but somewhat of a fortune. A metal box that contained almost pristine grenades. They had no doubts about it, they were likely working and worth some coins. However, Owen's suggestion to sell them unsettled her a little. After all, it were items for the sole purpose of hurting others, but... that also meant hurting fiends to prevent them from harming the innocent. She understood the value of an advanced military. Folding her arms, she thought about it for a while, but then looked at Owen and nodded, though with a somewhat serious expression.

"Alright, we'll sell them for a nice bonus to our reward. But! ... Only to a reputable shop with ties to the city's military. I don't want some black marketer sell them to maniacs who just wanna lay waste to lives of others. Deal?" She imposed conditions on Owen, though the kindhearted Gaomon was very likely to agree. Still, she wanted to make her graveness over the situation crystal clear, even if her voice and stance was still full of amiability.

Owen had a fair point. Perhabs there actually was a number with an inconceivable amount of zeros that was called squintillion, though it was unlikely so many explosives will ever be made, so she was not worried. How could she even, considering her best friend's inspiring optimism. "Why, yes!" She exclaimed, looking forward to see the Network Plains in old glory... however that looked like. And she was giving her best not to faint before that happened, since Owen's tail wagging was simply so incredibly adorable. She just wanted to shower him in caresses, but she had to compose herself for now.

The Gaomon's compliment made her smile, though she understood that in a 1 versus 1 situation without any really powerful attacks, she would likely get the short end. But since that was not her intention, any fight between teams should be something she could win. Owen's concerns made her smile yet again, appreciating the care. "Don't worry, I have superior agility and endurance compared to many other digimons of our level, and my abilities are power-efficient. While others gasp for breath, I keep on romping around. So tell me when you need a break, yes?" She explained yet again and requested her friend to be honest with her, not that she doubted he would not be.

She did not scold Owen for his suggestion to sell the grenades, nor did she think it was a fatuous suggestion. They simply had to make sure they would be in responsible hands, that's all. And when Owen started frowning, she put a hand on his shoulder, smiled at him and suggested to sell them to an official city-military vendor. The suggestion cheered her best friend up, agreeing to it almost instantly. And he even had an amazing suggestion of his own, wanting to sell the grenades to a city guard's outpost directly. "Even better I'd say." She agreed and commended Owen.

They had the same general idea, that the weaponry could be used by good digimons against evil ones, so there was no reason to justify their reasoning to one another. Everything was set in stone, and they would gain some additional reward without moral doubts. Such a solution was generally the best in their eyes anyway.

"Well then... let's continue till dusk?" She asked, giving his shoulder a little tap before letting go of him, waiting for them to resume their work. Unless of course there was something else on the Gaomon's mind.