Skip Navigation
If Any Human Would Befriend a Beast [Inari]
|
Post by Susumu on Mar 26, 2019 0:43:09 GMT
A quiet rumble of machinery permeated the tunnel as the doors to the elevator parted for a clawed foot to step through. The chatter and liveliness of the Trailmon terminal had faded minutes ago; once the door mechanism said its final piece from behind, Susumu was left to his thoughts in the pure silence of the abandoned, dreadfully-unkempt platform. There is nobody here, observed the diminutive dragon, taking note of the seemingly endless darkness that stretched to either side of him, though the platform where he imagined people once waited for trains was nearby, slightly off to the side. But I am sure of it. This is the human world.
Determining it would be in his best interests to leave the train tracks, he made a few honest attempts to climb up onto the platform, fluttering his useless wings to no avail. With some difficulty he settled on using a maintenance ladder nearby, at least faintly happy that no one was watching him neglect it beforehand. Just one friend, he reassured himself, just one human today, and they will go home to their family and say, "I have made a new friend today, and his name is Susumu." He turned his head up to the dimly-lit passage leading away from the train platform. There are people this way.
It would turn out that as the Dracomon reached the end of the passage that the number of humans rose immediately, all crowded together, all of them paying no mind to the passage from which he had just emerged. It was not that the passage was invisible, but it was uninteresting most hours of the day, and no one paid it any mind. Susumu would decide immediately that there were too many people here, and they were probably busy, so he would take advantage of their indifference to sneak elsewhere and find someone who looked more alone, and therefore more willing to accept new company. Shibuya was neither as large, nor as dense as Terminus, from what Susumu had seen of it, but cities always feel much larger when you do not wish to be seen by its inhabitants. He would spend an hour waiting for the perfect opportunity to cross a single large street. Susumu didn't mind. He had spent much longer lurking in one spot while foraging for food before in the digital world. On the other side of the street he would find a dark alleyway, occupied by no one, and on the other side of that alleyway, yet another street of similar size, yet somehow even busier. The lonely visitor gulped. This was no reason to give up, but he was tense. He would rest for a while here. He lay down next to a wall. staring up at what he could see of the sky through spiraling layers of fire escapes, shifting his tail uncomfortably beneath him. After a few minutes, the pain made him give up and lie on his side instead.
Just then, his eyes would meet with a single stranger; a young adult male, no older than 20, hands resting in the pockets of his unzipped sweatshirt. Susumu remained as still as possible, and so did the human youth, just passing by, perhaps planning to cut through the alley. Maybe this is my chance! I must say, "hello!" Unfortunately, before enacting this plan, or so much as moving an inch, the young dragon blinked, prompting the onlooker to shuffle uncomfortably, and jog away faster than he had approached. Susumu curled up completely from his resting position, clenching his eyes closed.
"Just one human," he repeated, mouthing the words this time, as just thinking them wasn't enough for him. "Just one human who will go home and tell their families they made a friend named Susumu, and that he was very nice, and civilized, and made good conversation. And they will forget to mention that he was a dragon, because it wouldn't matter, because he would be their friend." He remained immobile and curled up on the ground, but he remained awake, clenching his eyes shut tightly, repeating these words to himself, hoping he would finally convince himself they were true. He shed no tears, but part of him felt it might be better if he did. Maybe someone would come to him, and ask him what was wrong, and see he was not a wild animal to be feared.
|
|
|
Post by Yamashina no Inari on Mar 26, 2019 18:25:48 GMT
The times were changing. The evil was returning.
Yamashina no Inari had enjoyed a few years of quiet at her shrine. Ever since DATS had vanished, things seemed to cool down. Digimon passed over and settled down. It was a nice time. But lately, she's heard those dreadful, familiar sirens again. They were back. Her people were in danger once more. It was up to the Silver Fox to move out again, and help those being pursued to be safe.
Right now, Inari was down at the Scramble Crossing, clad in a hood, armed with a special paint. Using this, she would paint hidden Digimoji messages into posters and adverts, to point Digimon toward her. It was here that she noticed the curled-up Dracomon. Her ears twitched, hearing the words he was repeating to himself. Her nose immediately told her what he was. Out here? Without a Hologuise? That was dangerous. She had to step in.
Slowly, she approached the Dracomon, and leaned over his curled-up form. "Are you alright, little one?"
|
|
|
Post by Susumu on Mar 26, 2019 18:53:11 GMT
Susumu had been lying on the ground for too long, but as he was about to manage to drift off to sleep, he heard a voice above him speak kind words, though he could sense immediately, with some disappointment, that the one who was being kind to him was not human. Even so, he was relieved to find anyone friendly whatsoever as he opened his eyes and stared up at the silver fox, jumping to his feet as quickly as possible and dusting himself off, feeling mildly flustered at his appearances.
"Y-yes! I am fine! Thank you for your concern!" he returned eagerly, folding his claws and making his best effort to stand upright, in uncomfortable spite of his bone structure. He bowed. "My name is Susumu. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss...?" The Dracomon remained bowed forward, but looked up at her expectantly. He was tense, as if expecting a review of his manners would follow, and he hoped he would pass. I suppose it is best I could first introduce myself to a digimon, he decided.
|
|
|
Post by Yamashina no Inari on Mar 26, 2019 23:10:13 GMT
Inari put a hand to her chin as she looked the Dracomon over. He seemed...tense, awkward, unhappy. Poor thing. Must have been quite lost. The judgement that Susumu expected never came, for all Inari did was smile, and bow. "I am Inari, of the Yamashina dynasty. But, just call me Inari. It is a pleasure to meet you, too." She then stood up straight again. "You seem to be quite under the weather, are you alright? It is pretty dangerous out here for a Digimon. Do you not have a Hologuise?" Digimon came to the real world for a lot of reasons. It always helped to inquire.
|
|
|
Post by Susumu on Mar 27, 2019 18:08:05 GMT
Susumu's face lit up upon receiving a bow in return. He nodded and repeated both of the names he just heard to himself, syllable by syllable. "I-na-ri. Ya-ma-shi-na." He would then answer his new acquaintance's questions in a louder voice. "Yes. I am alright. I am tired, I think. I have been out here for some time already. What do you mean when you say it is dangerous here? Everyone stays away from me, though I am not happy about it." The Dracomon turned his head this way and that, wondering if anyone would come along and prove him wrong in the middle of their conversation. He tilted his head upon Inari's mention of a hologuise. "Hollow-guise? I have heard mention of hollow something-or-others, but I don't know anything about them. I am fairly certain no part of me is hollow." He would knock on one of his horns to check that his words were true.
|
|
|
Post by Yamashina no Inari on Mar 31, 2019 11:19:18 GMT
Inari put a glove-clad paw over her mouth. The poor thing had been out alone for days? And he was totally ignorant to how things work out here. She was grateful she had found him before...they found him. "...humans are not as...receptive to us as I wish they were. I can tell you more, but it is too precarious out here to talk. Allow me to invite you to my home, we can chat there, and you will be warm, and fed." Her home wasn't too far from here, she could probably get Susumu safely to the shrine, provided he agreed. The first lesson in caring for those stranded out here was to not force charity upon them. A miffed Digimon could do more damage than an ignorant one.
|
|
|
Post by Susumu on Apr 4, 2019 18:36:11 GMT
It was a minor miracle! Someone was offering him the passage he sought from the alley he was sleeping in to somewhere in the human world other than the train station! This was progress.
But a loud rumble from the Dracomon's stomach would practically interrupt his thoughts. Ah. Yes. Food. He had forgotten. Everyone needs food. There was no shame in it. He would nod slowly and smile at the offer.
"You may invite me into your home... by which I mean, I will gladly come to your home. It sounds like a delightful time! Thank you very much for the offer." Susumu would look both ways once again, then ask, "So, Inari, will we be departing now? Which way must we travel?" He pressed his index claws together, wondering if it would be okay to ask another question in quick succession. "M...May I ask how it was you came to live in the human world?"
|
|
|
Post by Yamashina no Inari on Apr 5, 2019 11:54:07 GMT
Inari ended up chuckling when Susumu's stomach grumbled. "Ah, wonderful, then let us go to my home. You will get fed there, too." So, she turned around. By sheer force of habit, she took Susumu by the hand, like a mother would a child. The Dracomon had then asked her how she came to the Human World. She was a bit surprised that this was among his first questions, but she answered nonetheless. "That was a long time ago, in the Human Year of 1992. Before that, I had wandered the Digital World, seeking out those in need of help, as my god Xuanwumon has foretold. But the Digital World already had heroes. Knights, angels, the first human tamers...so as I wandered and helped I ended up in Terminus, which was still in the process of urban growth in those days. For a long time, people had already gotten help, so I was reduced to wandering. By chance, I ended up finding the portal that connected the Shibuya River to the Human World. I was about to return, when my attention was drawn to a Digimon in need. A young Digimon, having to hide from humans who believed it to be a wild beast. I helped the Digimon, but this showed me that this world, too, had Digimon in need of help. So, I continued my wandering in this world. Now, I have dedicated myself fully to the aid of Digimon living in the Human World." As they walked, and Inari spoke, the two walked through the labyrinth of back alleys, the backstage to the bustling Shibuya area, until the area opened up to a vast back alley space. The sound of the big city were present, but were muffled by the huge buildings surrounding the place. There was a small park here, with a shrine in the middle. Behind it, an apartment complex rose, with a Pachinko parlor in the ground floor. Pulling a key from her cloak, Inari opened the side entrance to the apartment complex. "My home is in here."
|
|
|
Post by Susumu on Apr 22, 2019 20:12:00 GMT
Susumu was interrupted in his train of thought upon Inari taking him by the hand. The Dracomon had never spent much time around others, digimon or otherwise, so being provided with such gentle and kind treatment was as good as unheard of to him. Feeling a new sensation of warmth within himself, he was silent, tossing the feeling back and forth, holding onto it for as long as he possibly could. Even so, his mind was also focused on listening to Inari's answer to the question he had asked. To think that this digimon had devoted herself to helping digimon exactly like him - it was shocking to him that there had been so many, or at least, that there must of been for her to have devoted herself to it.
By the time they had reached the apartment complex, Susumu wasn't paying attention to the trip or destination as much as the other question that had been raised by Inari's story.
"That is all wonderful, Inari; you are a very nice person. But what of the humans?" He tilted his head in deep thought, his tail fidgeting unconsciously. "They are so very afraid, and I cannot help but feel bad. Isn't there something that can be done for them, though it is us they are afraid of?"
|
|
|
Post by Yamashina no Inari on Apr 26, 2019 9:48:32 GMT
Inari was in the process of unlocking her door when Susumu asked his question. She stood there a bit, key still halfway turned, then sighed. "Your kindness and optimism is a wonderful thing. Never lose sight of it. However, if there was something to make humans be less afraid, then I have not found it in my centuries of living so far." She finished turning the key, and opened the door. "Humans may possess technology and advanced sciences, but deep inside, they are still naked, hairless apes that just climbed off the trees. And if an ape sees something it does not know, it becomes scared. It's instinct. Fear is a powerful tool. Fear is what puts monstrosities like DATS into power." She then led Susumu into her flat, and closed the door behind her, taking off her robe to reveal the silver-furred Renamon underneath. The apartment appeared to be the typical inner city affair, with little space and just the bare necessities...but a minor digital overlay let vines grow from the walls and allowed a small stream to run out of the closet along the all into the shower. Inari eventually stepped into the living room, and spoke to nobody in particular. "He is a friend, you can come out." One by one, about six In-Training Digimon poked their heads out from behind the sofa and out of the closet. After a bit of careful watching, they mobbed Susumu, hopping up and down around him, saying things like "Hi!" and "Who're you??" and "You're big!~"
|
|
|
Post by Susumu on Sept 23, 2019 20:10:32 GMT
The Dracomon couldn't help but pout at Inari's opinions regarding the true nature of humans. He wasn't one hundred percent sure what she was calling him, but he definitely did not like the sound of it. "Why would you say something... so mean?" he asked, with tilted head and saddened eyes. "If they are scared because they do not know, who is stopping us from teaching them? Is it this... 'DATS'? Because otherwise I do not see why it should be so avoided! If they are afraid of what they do not know, then what of the technology? And the science? Did they know it from birth? The city? Their world? Their friends?" Susumu paused. Many would consider the Dracomon to be not too bright, perhaps including himself. But everything he was saying... came naturally to him, like an obvious truth.
"Is it not true... that all friends were strangers first? What makes us so different from them?"
He contemplated this silently, though when he was introduced to the other digimon in hiding, he seemed to become chipper once more, as if a switch had been flipped.
"Oh! Oh! Hello!" he greeted, seeming to bounce a bit excitedly with them. "My name's Susumu! Su-su-mu! Aw, thanks~!" The dragon was blushing about as brightly as a blue-green dragon could from all the attention he was getting.
|
|
|
Post by Yamashina no Inari on Sept 24, 2019 11:30:43 GMT
Inari let the In-Trainings interact with Susumu a bit before she answered his question. She felt he needed some levity, as the little blobs hopped up and down and rubbed against him affectionately. "Hello Susumu!", they said. "You're a dragon? Cooool!"
Eventually, she spoke up again. "I have seen the first incarnation of DATS, the embodiment of human fear of the digital unknown. There is a reason why the existence of us is unknown to the public. They fear us, and what they fear, they destroy. I wish, I truly truly wish it was as easy as to reveal ourselves to show people we mean no harm. But for every human who will understand, there will be one who points, yells "Monsters!", and runs away in fear. And if one human is afraid, others follow suit. And where many people are afraid, DATS appears, to destroy the source of fear. One human is smart, many humans are brainless. You can befriend one human, but befriending many humans is an uphill climb." She looked rather saddened by her own words, wishing they weren't true. Deep down, she too wished humans and Digimon could just live in harmony. But her experiences told her that that was borderline impossible.
|
|
|
Post by Susumu on Sept 24, 2019 15:09:41 GMT
Susumu seemed as if he had just about lost his train of thought at the In-Training digimon's admiration. He wasn't used to it, and he especially wasn't used to receiving it just for being a Rookie. He rubbed a claw bashfully against the back of his head. "Well, yes, I suppose I am~ hee hee! What are your names?" He asked, crouching down. Though it was very fun and pleasing, and certainly lightened his mood for the time being, his attention would be soon called back to Inari.
The words she was saying confused and saddened him, and he spoke his mind in the voice of a desperate plea: "That can't be true! It can't! Never have I gone so far into the human world before... but I have been here, and I have watched them... they decorate their walls and persons with creatures strange to them, not unlike us! And they carry their likenesses as toys, and they carry them carefully, and show them love and affection..." The Dracomon sniffled, a hint of envy apparent in his glimmering eye. "Even if they will not all accept us, what is this 'DATS' to keep us from doing something as simple as climbing a hill?" Susumu tapped his claws together, realizing he felt he was being rude to the kind lady who had taken him in as a guest. "I am sorry for raising my voice, but even if you seem to have lost hope... you cannot convince me that it is truly impossible. If they fear the unknown, I want to become known to them... even to the ones who need more time to think..."
|
|
|
Post by Yamashina no Inari on Nov 8, 2019 12:24:34 GMT
The tiny blobs hopped up and down cheerfully. "I'm Chibi!", said a Chicomon; "I'm Same!", said a Bukamon; "I'm Sally!", said a Nyaromon; "I'm Sakura!", said a pink Leafmon; "I'm Rosco The 14th!", said a Gummymon; "I'm Izuki!", said the final blob, a Tsunomon. They loved the attention, and loved to be around a real dragon!
Inari fell silent. This Digimon's conviction was unshakable. Dangerous, but very admirable. He was truly convinced that true cooperation and coexistence was possible. "...keep your dream alive, Susumu. But don't put yourself in danger. We need Digimon like you to one day realize the dream of true coexistence. But please, do not throw yourself into the fray and get yourself hurt over it. DATS...the old DATS tended to delete Digimon at times. I don't know if the new one does it too, but I do not want to risk it. No one should be deleted because they have a dream..." She thought for a bit. "...maybe you should start small. Maybe, you should find Tamers. Tamers already know Digimon, and befriended them. Maybe tamers are the gate to your dream that you need."
|
|
|
Post by Susumu on Nov 13, 2019 0:16:45 GMT
The Dracomon clasped his claws together in glee, delightedly fawning over each of the excitable blobs. He had never seen so many people excited to see him, or perhaps even one person this delighted to see him! "Those are all wonderful names," he cheered, "and you are all very cute! Oh, my apologies, do any of you mind me saying that?"
Inari's words this time slowly brought a glimmer of happiness back to Susumu's eyes, rather than desperation, though he would place a hand over his chest and glance downwards in solemnity when the old DATS's tendencies were mentioned. "Oh, how dreadful it is that some humans are so terrified... and the digimon must have been, too, that some humans were driven to kill for their fears. I agree! It is most certainly not something that should happen! And definitely not something that has to! I plan to do as you say, and follow that dream!" The little dragon thought about this for a moment. "So, then... where might I find a Tamer? I have heard stories of them before, but never seen them in person, as far as I am aware!"
|
|
|