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Post by eyesinthedark on Jun 3, 2022 15:23:47 GMT
Shouta frowned slightly as LJ admitted to not paying attention in his class. Instincts honed from years of watching over his siblings' education left him wanting to chastise LJ for being inattentive but even if LJ was younger than him, scolding a bipedal lion that towered over him felt very different to chiding his younger siblings. "Math can be difficult, not to mention tedious, but it does often prove extremely useful," he finally commented, stopping short of actual criticism but unable to restrain a subtle tone of reproach from entering his voice.
Hex likely would have paid more attention to the conflicting feelings of disapproval and caution from Shouta but he was still primarily focused on the discussion of skunks. Learning that their smell was likely distinct from his own as Raremon only made him wonder if the feelings of revulsion inspired would be qualitatively distinct from each other as well. "Can we get some books like that?" he asked his partner, who nodded approvingly.
"I don't see why not. I likely have some of my siblings' old school books at home somewhere which wouldn't be missed," he suggested. This was a direction he didn't mind pointing Shouta's desires towards. While the Eyesmon didn't come across as the deepest thinker and there was no telling how long the books would hold his interest, it would be a great boon if that interest could be encouraged, as it would help Hex understand more of the Human World and keep him occupied and thus out of trouble for a time.
"Enhanced senses? I can see how that might come in handy but it does reinforce my decision not to have Hex assume his larger form right now," Shouta noted. The stench had been beyond unpleasant for him. He didn't even want to imagine how horrible it would be with even sharper senses.
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Post by ricochet7-LJ on Jun 3, 2022 22:08:48 GMT
"Yeah it sure can be tedious and difficult but I seem to be doing decent enough. I'm not always the most studious type like one would expect with those magically gifted." LJ said before he shook his head with a chuckle before he said "Something tells me you have had at least one sibling who has had similar issues studying." While not as perceptive as Mandrake or Lothar, LJ seemed to be rather perceptive for his age. "Personally I have more interest in the martial arts. Specifically I train in Karate and Ninjutsu."
LJ noticed that Hex seemed very curious about learning about animals like skunks and it seemed Shouta had easy access to such books. "There are multiple genre of books, Hex, so maybe you can also try reading others. Who knows? Maybe you'll find interest in certain books. Going to a library to read and regularly check out books could be fun for both you and Shouta. You guys might even have similar tastes in books."
"Don't worry about it, Shouta. Hopefully we won't have to worry about getting into battle so such a form may not be needed. Doesn't mean we should drop our guard."
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Post by eyesinthedark on Jun 3, 2022 23:23:26 GMT
"Many of my siblings have had issues in school at one point or another. I endeavor to keep them all more in line but Ryuji has always been a touch rebellious and I honestly sometimes dread how the twins will function in a classroom," Shouta remarked. His youngest siblings, for all that he loved them, had a tendency to be unruly, constantly seeming to work each other up into a frenzy. Hopefully they would mellow out as they aged but at the moment, they seemed impossible to calm down for long except when they were kept separate.
Hex was interested in LJ's comments on the wide variety of books available. While he had never had the chance to read for leisure before and had no idea if he would prove to enjoy it, it was one more experience that he wanted to try out which meant that he already was beginning to conspire as to how he could get as many different books as possible within his possession. That didn't prevent him from getting interested in LJ's other comments, however. "Martial arts? Do you study them as a human in your holosuit?" he asked curiously. His body wasn't particularly suited to any martial art that humans had developed but a holosuit could provide that additional option. And perhaps one of his future forms would be more physically inclined.
"Indeed, we can only hope to avoid any such unpleasantness," Shouta agreed about the possibility of finding themselves in conflict. That, now that he thought about it, was the greatest problem he had with being in the Digital World as a whole, rather than being in the middle of a desert. In the Human World, there were a multitude of rules and laws in everyday life and should somebody break these rules, they would generally be quickly apprehended and punished, ensuring that society continued to function smoothly. Here, however, where a single digimon could have enough personal power to dominate those around them, things were far more likely to fall to a state of might makes right, where rules were only enforced when the strongest digimon around supported them. In an isolated location like this, any hostile digimon they encountered could very easily choose to resort to violence. It was effectively a step away from anarchy at any time, a state of affairs that Shouta would never be comfortable with.
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Post by ricochet7-LJ on Jun 3, 2022 23:50:36 GMT
"Yikes. Sounds like you and your mom have your hands full. Hopefully they will mellow a bit as they age." LJ said as he heard about one of Shouta's siblings. Not only that Hex seemed to be incorrigible so LJ wouldn't be surprised if Shouta had saintly patience after dealing with so many potential chaotic elements.
Then Hex asked about whether LJ studied martial arts in human form and the Leomon X said "Sometimes but I do the majority of my training in digimon form though. I've also been teaching my little brother Kshin karate and I think the little guy has been coming along pretty well." Sure Kshin could come off as overconfident at times but he was a good kid whom LJ thought would definitely become a strong dragon digimon one day.
"Yeah. Battles are generally something I tend to avoid but it is handy to know different ways of fighting just in case."
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Post by eyesinthedark on Jun 4, 2022 11:23:00 GMT
"It can be tricky. With six other siblings, there's always some problem or other demanding attention," Shouta admitted. "But they're all good kids, for the most part. The advantage of a large family is that we're all quite close, so everybody helps out where they can," he elaborated. Left unsaid was that he tended to ensure he had the lion's share of responsibilities in their home, as he didn't want his siblings to have to grow up quite as fast as he did, but he did always make sure that they all took care of their own share of chores.
Hex was intrigued by the possibility of learning martial arts with a holosuit, which segued naturally into the topic of battles with other digimon, even if any such battles would be in his true form and thus unlikely to take advantage of any such hypothetical skill. "Combat is always a risky endeavor. If you win you can get what you want but if you lose..." Hex trailed off briefly, surprising Shouta with his awareness. Then again, if he had the memories of multiple digimon who had died without achieving their goals, it was likely that many of those had died in a fight for those goals so it was reasonable that he would understand those risks. "I can fight as well as any other digimon if somebody tries to take my stuff or to hurt me or Shouta, but I prefer other ways of getting what I want," he finished candidly.
"That's wise of you, although I should hope that you would always focus on not just obtaining your goals without resorting to violence directly but doing so in ways that do not provoke a hostile response in others," Shouta cautioned. He was well aware that the methods Hex was referring to likely included deception, coercion and outright theft. Hex didn't even claim he was unwilling to resort to violence to achieve his ends, only that it wasn't his preferred method. While that was at least a first step on the path to responsible self-control, it was a very long path ahead.
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Post by ricochet7-LJ on Jun 4, 2022 12:26:47 GMT
Shouta had six siblings and that concept was mind blowing for LJ but then he wondered how many siblings he would eventually have in the future seeing as he had a yet to be born sibling that time traveled to help him before returning to her own time. "Wow. Six siblings. I only have two so far. Though apparently judging by a time traveler from some time in the future that I met means I have at least one more sibling coming in the future." LJ said before a beeping came from his bag and he removed it from his back and dug around seeing that he had a message from his parents. They had caught him up on their recent adventures so not only he was aware Lilly had digivolved to Guilmon but he had a surprised look on his face and when he put the device hooked to Tamernet back in his bag, he said "My parents just contacted me. Apparently I have another sister bringing the sibling counter to three but it wasn't the same species as the time traveling sibling I met."
At Hex's comment regarding combat being a risky endeavor he chuckled and said "Fair point, Hex. Which is why I am trying to be as prepared as I can."
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Post by eyesinthedark on Jun 4, 2022 15:45:09 GMT
Shouta came to a dead halt and stared at LJ at his casual mention of a time travelling sibling. Time travel? Is... is that also common here?" he asked incredulously. Learning of a different world filled with strange creatures had been more than a little mind-blowing but Hex's presence had served as irrefutable evidence of their existence. That this world had a habitable, accessible moon was also rather stunning but he had managed to accept that without too much trouble. Time travel though? That was stretching the limits of what Shouta could easily accept.
"That's new to me," Hex said, though he could detect no signs of falsehood from LJ. "Did your sibling say anything about what the future is like?" he asked with open curiosity. While he didn't have any first hand experience of time travel, he was well aware of how many bizarre and unexplainable features the Digital World had.
Although he was still struggling to wrap his head around the fact that time travel was apparently confirmed to exist, at least in this world, Shouta nonetheless did take notice of LJ's comment after receiving a message from his parents. "Congratulation," he offered sincerely. "I'm sure that she... and your yet-to-be-born sibling-" Shouta added, still having trouble getting over that detail. "Will be fortunate to have you as an older brother."
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Post by ricochet7-LJ on Jun 4, 2022 23:04:56 GMT
"While not completely unheard of I don't think time travel is common. All I remember is that I was told it was done with magic that my gramps apparently knows." LJ said before he shook his head and continued "Though considering Gramps is ancient I shouldn't be surprised if he knows such a spell."
"All she told me is her name and it was Melody. She is a Pulsemon with heterochromia and was carrying a blue ukulele on her back. Judging by the fact that I saw her making a move to pull it from her back it seems it might be part of her battle strategy. I could feel the magic flowing from her so it is likely she uses the ukulele as a conduit for her magical powers much like how some magicians use wands." LJ said before he continued "Apparently she was trying to minimize damage to the timeline but, then again, I guess it makes sense."
"Thanks. At least I'm more accustomed to the whole big brother role than I was when Kshin was adopted. Yet I find it odd that Dad and Pops would have another kid so fast since Lilly apparently just recently digivolved to rookie. There must be something more going on so I think I'll meet up with them later."
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Post by eyesinthedark on Jun 5, 2022 11:16:04 GMT
Learning that time travel was at least unusual helped Shouta to to wrap his head around it, even if it did still seem like an impossibility. "Well, I suppose it is a good thing that she strove not to disrupt time too much. I imagine that there could be any number of consequences to changing one's own past," Shouta said, only able to speculate on exactly what the results of such paradoxes might be. Regardless, it almost certainly wouldn't be good and personally, he was of the opinion that such temporal interference should be avoided if only to ensure that the progression of time remained as orderly as possible.
"Families can grow unexpectedly," Shouta pointed out, well aware of this from his own experience. "Whatever the story behind your newest sister may be, I am sure that her presence will prove to be a blessing," he said confidently. "Meeting up with your parents would be a good idea, however, not to mention giving you a chance to meet your sister. Do pass on my congratulations and well wishes when you see them," he requested.
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Post by ricochet7-LJ on Jun 5, 2022 12:18:21 GMT
"Judging by the many kinds of time paradoxes that are mentioned in fiction it is probably for the best that Melody tried to do minimum damage." LJ said shrugging before he continued "Then again for all I know, her heading back in time might of been meant to happen. You know like a Predestination Paradox I believe it's called."
"All I was told was the circumstances were tricky so I am gathering this is a discussion not meant to be had over Tamernet, They showed me a picture and she's a cute kid but it's hard to believe she's a rookie digimon with how weirdly human she looks." LJ said as he wondered if he should bring out the gadget hooked to Tamernet to show the picture. "You are right though about families being able to grow unexpectedly but all I know is digimon can potentially have a lot of kids in a short space of time since we don't tend to spend more than a few months in human time combined in our fresh and in training stages. I myself am a little more than one human year old but that is about seven years in Digital World time so, depending on how you look at it, I am either one year old or seven."
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Post by eyesinthedark on Jun 5, 2022 16:46:58 GMT
LJ's mention of his age was not exactly surprising, given that Shouta had already strongly suspected that digimon mentally matured more quickly than humans, but it was still surprising to hear just how young LJ was. It was strange to think that the Leomon X was actually younger than half of his siblings. While he suspected Hex was significantly younger even than that, the Eyesmon had a childish personality that was easier to reconcile with his physical age.
"I take it that Tamernet is some kind of communication system?" he queried, having noted the use of the term. It wasn't one that he recognized, making him suspect that it was a program from the Digital World. LJ's comment about the picture of his sister did also raise a further question. "Are digimon that look human common? Without holosuits, I mean," he asked, having noted his surprise.
"Plenty of digimon are roughly human-shaped, like LJ," Hex answered his question, drawing Shouta's attention to him. "There are also a few who look more like humans but most could only be mistaken for human from real close. And rookie digimon or lower tend to be more compact than humans. I'm a pretty normal size for a rookie, though there are some that are bigger, like Lilly, and a few that are more human-sized," he explained.
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Post by ricochet7-LJ on Jun 5, 2022 21:54:39 GMT
"Yup. Tamernet allows humans and digimon to communicate over the internet which has many advantages. Anyone on Tamernet has a handle of some kind. My Wizardmon dad, for example, goes by Blue Eyed Illusionist." LJ explained.
"Some are even more human like than others. Like I said one of my dads is a species called Wizardmon and he looks like a shorter than average human in wizard cosplay. He only stands four feet tall. Maybe that's why I am shorter than average for a Leomon X." LJ said before he continued "As for my new sister she looks so human she can actually pass for a human child. Apparently the only way you can tell she isn't human at close range is by peaking under her cape. Apparently she has tiny spider legs on her back that the cape conceals from view."
He fished the device back out of his bag and searched through the message before a picture of his new sister was found before he held it out to them showing what looked like a five year old girl with the dark blonde hair like a Wizardmon with elven features, sapphire blue eyes, and dressed in wizard robes. "Here she is. Her name is Circe. She's seems to be a pretty cute kid. Kinda looks like Dad."
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Post by eyesinthedark on Jun 6, 2022 10:37:49 GMT
Shouta took in the information on Tamernet attentively, noting that it might come in handy down the line. Most of his attention, however, went to LJ's description of his family and the picture of Circe. "She does look human," he agreed. The mention of spider legs was a little unsettling, as the cleanliness focused human had long since associated spiders with messiness and thus developed an aversion to them, but he quickly dismissed that as irrational. Given the various alien features Hex had, spider legs was hardly anything to be alarmed over.
"Most digimon aren't nearly that human looking," Hex commented, having looked at the picture over Shouta's shoulder. "I guess she does sort of look like a Wizardmon though. Especially the hair and the clothes," he mentioned. Shouta took a closer look at the picture at that, not having seen Mandrake's true form before.
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Post by ricochet7-LJ on Jun 6, 2022 20:37:23 GMT
"What is crazier is that she seems to be a brand new species of digimon. I know it's not unheard of for new species to pop up from time to time depending on various circumstances but I never expected a newly formed species to be one of my siblings." LJ said not noticing Shouta's discomfort.
"You're right, Hex. Most humanoid digimon have things like masks or other non human features like wings to differentiate them from a human. Not to mention they tend to be taller than the average human too typically with the occasional exception." LJ said before he said "I have an image of my parents on this thing. Hold on." After searching the device for a moment he brought up a picture of Mandrake and Lothar. Despite the grey skin Mandrake looked fairly human but since Circe had fair skin she looked even more human. Lilly was in the picture too but as her baby form of Jyarimon. The only other digimon in the picture was one of his grandfathers, Theron, who was a humaniod digimon called Jijimon.
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Post by eyesinthedark on Jun 7, 2022 18:36:28 GMT
Seeing the picture of Mandrake and Lothar in their true forms was enlightening and Shouta took both in closely. The one he assumed was Mandrake did seem to fit into the category of digimon who could pass for human at a distance, although much less so than Circe. Lothar was even less human looking but it was easy to see the similarities between him and LJ's form. He could also guess that the smallest digimon was Lilly, noticing the resemblance between it and Gigimon. The final digimon in the picture also looked vaguely human, except for an outrageous amount of facial hair. "Is that other digimon another family member? One of your grandparents, perhaps?" he enquired politely.
Hex also took a look at the picture but, being more familiar with the different species of digimon, quickly lost interest in that. "A new species, hmm?" he mused aloud in regards to Circe. "That's odd, especially since you and Lilly are both from established species, Melody too, and you're a variation of the same species as Lothar," he commented. "I suppose she seems to take more after Mandrake than Lothar though, what with the robes and all. The spider bits might just be a random trait."
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